


Paradox

by the_purple_pen



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Angst, Dom/sub, Gay Sex, Light BDSM, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-09-30 04:14:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 80,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10153436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_purple_pen/pseuds/the_purple_pen
Summary: The definition of paradox is a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is complete and will be posted in chapters.

Landry watched as another balloon filled with glitter was inflated and released to bob against the ceiling. Another mess to be cleaned up when the balloon popped. He checked the time and sighed. The time for everyone’s arrival was getting closer and so was his birthday. It also happened to be New Year’s Eve. At the stroke of midnight, Landry wouldn’t just be bidding another year goodbye, he’d be facing a birthday that he’d really rather forget. 

He walked toward the bar and leaned across it as he tied back his long hair in a loose ponytail. “Don’t you think we have enough balloons?” Landry asked his friend and coworker, Jules. She tilted her head and gave him a sly smile then shook her head, her long, red hair falling over one shoulder.

“Can you really have enough balloons at a party?” asked Jules as she finished the prep work for the bar, making it ready for the night’s festivities. She dried her hands on a towel, leaning her hip against the counter. 

“You can. You really can,” Landry grumbled. If it were up to him, there wouldn’t be a party. New Year’s Eve or birthday. He was ready for January 2nd. 

“Oh come on! Cheer up already! It’s a party not a wake,” Jules told him as she playfully slapped him with the bar towel. 

“Might as well be a wake. The death of my youth,” Landry countered with a smirk. 

“Seriously? I never would have thought you were the type to be influenced by a number,” she said. “I would have pegged you more for a 'mind over matter' sort of guy. Being that you’re Mr. Philosophy and all.” 

Landry shrugged then straightened his 6’4” frame. “Don’t call me that.”

Jules shook her head and grinned, not intimidated by her friend’s height or scowl. “30 is not the end of the world. 30 is the new 40,” she said brightly.

“Oh. Shut. Up.” Landry moaned. “Spoken like a woman who is still in her twenties.”

“What’s so bad about turning 30 anyway?” Jules persisted. 

Landry thought for a moment. “It’s one of life’s milestones. A time to look back at what you’ve done with your life and assess where you’re at and what you’ve accomplished.”

“And you’re doing great!” Jules said quickly. “You own your own bar. You’re smart, well educated. You can be funny when you want to be. You’re healthy . . .” She looked him over, pausing to stare at his broad chest and bulging biceps. “Very healthy.” 

“It’s also a time to plan for the future,” Landry interjected.

“So plan on having a great New Year’s Eve tonight and a Happy Birthday tomorrow then,” Jules insisted. “That’s what New Year’s is for. We all get to start over on New Year’s.”

Landry looked at her and smiled. “If you say so.”

“I say so,” Jules replied. “Now go change. People are going to start arriving any moment now.”

“Okay, okay. You look great, by the way. No one can rock a leather corset like you do,” Landry smiled. 

“I know. It’s a gift,” Jules said with a flip of her hair.

Landry laughed and headed toward the back, his friend’s advice echoing in his thoughts.

✬✬✬

Alex paced the streets of the Quarter, trying to convince himself that he was making good choices. He’d walked past the door three times, watching carefully to see if anyone was coming or going. Luckily the swarm of New Year’s revelers meant the streets were packed so no one noticed him circling the same block over and over. 

He knew this was his last chance to get out there and explore. Applications for grad school and the buzz saw of his senior year were looming in the fall and he wasn’t sure what the future might bring after that. He needed to learn to let go, if for no other reason just to see how it felt.

It was like the universe was speaking to him, pushing him toward the inevitable that night when he overheard the drunk tourists talking about a fetish bar they’d stumbled into by accident. The rest of winter break stretched out in front of him, a clean slate of opportunity ripe for the taking. 

Squaring his shoulders, Alex took a deep breath and pushed open the door, completely unsure of what he might find on the other side. 

✬✬✬

The first thing Landry noticed was the boy's ass.

Landry was making his rounds, telling everyone hello and Happy New Year, as well as deflecting any questions about the birthday decor Jules had placed around the bar, when he first saw him at the entrance. There appeared to be some sort of dispute going on if the ominous expression on his bouncer's face was any indication at all. The defensive hand gestures and fast talking coming from the other young man were also a clue. Intrigued, Landry decided to get a closer look at the situation. And a closer look at the attractive derrière didn't seem to be a bad idea either. 

"How's it going, Lou?" Landry asked his bouncer as he approached, an easy smile on his face. "Is there a problem?" he continued, turning his attention to the young man who was the object of Lou's discontent. 

"He's trying to get in with a fake ID," the bouncer complained. "And I told him it's a private party anyway."

Landry took the ID from Lou's hand to examine it then looked at the young man. "And how old are you?" he asked, feigning confusion. 

“Twenty-one,” Alex lied with a convincing tone and straight face. “I don’t know why he’s saying it’s fake, I use it all the time.” His heart was racing, and the fact that the man that had joined their conversation was a _fine_ physical specimen didn’t help him relax.

Landry's expression turned doubtful. "Just old enough, huh?" he murmured, not believing the young man was really old enough to drink.

“Yes,” Alex said, standing his ground, despite how physically imposing the other man was. “I’ve heard good things about this place,” he lied, “I just wanted to check it out.” 

"Really?" One of Landry's eyebrows raised skeptically. "What kind of good things?"

Caught in his lie, Alex felt his cheeks heat up. “Just that this was a good place to go,” he stammered out. “To…  
learn,” he said, grasping for straws.

Landry's eyes narrowed as he stared at the blushing boy then he turned his attention to Lou. "Thanks, buddy. Let me take this one from here," Landry said as he gave Lou a slap on his back. He turned back to the young man and used the ID still in his hand to point at him. "You. Follow me," he ordered before he turned to start walking toward the back of the busy bar.

Startled, Alex looked around for a moment and then took off after the other man, practically jogging to keep up with his long strides. He took in as much as he could as they headed for the back, but so far the place looked like it could have been any of the other bars in the Quarter. 

Landry opened the door to the office and waited for the boy to go in ahead of him. He watched him closely and he could tell how nervous he was. Once inside, he gestured for him to take a seat in a chair as he dropped easily into the large leather chair behind the desk.

"Look . . ." Landry paused to read the name on the driver's license in his hand. "Alex. If that's your real name. Because we both know that this . . ." He tossed the ID onto the desk between them. "Is not real." 

Alex reached out and snatched the card off the desk. It had cost him a significant portion of his savings and he didn’t want that to go to waste. “That’s my real name,” he confirmed. “Are you calling the police?” he asked, because so far this was nothing like what he expected might happen if he was caught using the fake ID.

Landry barely muffled a laugh. "The police? Why would I call the police? Were you trying to get in here to rob the place?" he asked, unable to resist teasing the boy.

Alex felt his face flame again. “Am I free to leave then?” he asked, realizing that this whole grand experiment was a terrible mistake. 

"That was a quick change of heart. Did you want in just to see if the fake ID works or was there another reason you were trying to get in?" asked Landry. 

“The ID works just fine,” Alex said, muttering “most places,” under his breath. “Like I said, I’d heard about this place and wanted to check it out. But based on what I’ve seen I was mislead.”

"In what way?" Landry pushed.

Alex paused and studied the other man. He looked normal enough, but then again Alex wasn’t sure what he thought someone who was into BDSM should look like. He tried to come up with a way to express himself without coming right out and saying it. “Looks like a pretty normal bar to me,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Landry smiled. "Normal is a subjective concept. What I think is normal may not be normal to you at all." He leaned back in the chair, crossing one long leg over the other, resting his ankle on his thigh. "Would you care to elaborate?"

There was something about the other man that was intimidating, even when he was being pleasant and his body language was relaxed. It put Alex on edge, the same way he sometimes felt when called out in class in front of a particularly challenging professor. “No?” he said, the word coming out much more like a question than he’d planned.

Landry chuckled softly at Alex's reply. "Then I'll have to guess." He stared at Alex, more for the effect he seemed to have on the boy than anything else. The dark eyes looking back at him were expressive without giving away his secret. "From what you said, I get the impression you are looking for something specific. Maybe a gay bar?"

“No,” Alex said, and then after a pause added “not exactly.” He wasn’t sure what compelled him to add that second part, but something about the other man’s stare made him blurt out what he was thinking.

“Something more specific then,” Landry mused aloud. “A certain kind of gay bar maybe. A leather bar like The Phoenix or Rawhide. Although I’m not sure your fake ID will get you in. Unless they get a good look at you.” 

Alex wasn’t entirely sure what Landry meant. He was good at contextual clues though, his History major had taught him that. “I’ve never been to those, but since it looks like I’m not going to be welcome here maybe I should check them out.” 

“You are not 21. You’re not going to be welcome anywhere unless it’s twink night and you can get in with the crowd,” Landry said bluntly. “Are you into drag queens?” he asked, still guessing.

Alex made a face. “No.” 

Landry smirked. “This is New Orleans. There is a gay bar for everyone here. If you want to dance. If you want sing. If you want to play pool. If you want to be in a pool. If you’re looking for a daddy. If you’re looking for someone like you. It’s all here. Not here here. Not this bar. But it’s here in New Orleans.” He leaned forward, arms on the desk. “But you have to tell me what you want before I can help you.” 

“Help me? You took my ID and now you have me trapped back here in your office. Doesn’t seem very helpful to me,” Alex pointed out, even as he found himself leaning forward toward the other man. 

“Trapped? You’re not trapped. You are free to leave whenever you want,” Landry countered. “And you have your ID now. I wish you better luck at the next bar.” 

“I don’t really go to bars,” Alex said as he pushed up from his chair. “But thank you.” There was part of him that wanted to linger, drawn in by the mysterious man and his mysterious questions, but the rational part of him knew it was best to leave. 

“Then tell me the real reason that you were trying to get into this bar,” Landry said as he looked up at Alex. 

“Because I thought it was more than a bar,” Alex said, busying his hands by pushing in the chair. 

Landry waited for Alex to say more. When he didn’t, he asked “What did you think it would be?”

Alex only managed to give voice to the words because he was sure he’d never see the man again. “I overheard someone talking about this place and they referred to it as a BDSM club,” he said, the words coming out in a jumbled rush. “But it’s obviously not so I’ll just be going now.” 

The boy was almost to the door when Landry spoke again. “Wait a minute.” 

Alex froze, his hand on the doorknob. He waited for the man to speak again, and the silence stretched out, filling every corner of the room. 

“Are you going to come sit down and talk to me or are you going to leave?” Landry asked quietly. 

Finding that he was holding his breath, Alex forced himself to inhale and exhale slowly one full cycle before he turned around. Something had shifted, the room felt different, but Alex couldn’t identify why. He returned slowly to the chair and sank back down into it in silence. 

“Okay. So you’re looking for a BDSM club,” Landry began calmly, keeping his tone easy. “Is that something new for you?” he asked gently. He didn’t want to rile Alex with his questions, but he had no other way of getting to the bottom of this. 

Alex took the fact that the conversation hadn’t been shut down the moment he mentioned BDSM as a good sign that maybe he’d been right all along, despite the appearance of the bar. “Yes. I wasn’t lying when I said I heard it was a place where I could learn.” 

“I didn’t think you were lying,” Landry smiled as he eased back in his chair again. “This isn’t exactly a BDSM bar though. It is a regular bar. Where some people who are into BDSM come to get a drink and meet people.”

“Oh,” Alex said softly. “No wonder it didn’t look like I expected,” he added, smiling for the first time since the conversation began. 

“What exactly were you expecting?” asked Landry. “If you don’t mind me asking,” he added politely.

“I don’t know really,” Alex said, looking down at his hands where they fidgeted in his lap. “Like a dungeon or something?”

“More like a fetish club,” Landry offered, doing his best to make Alex feel at ease so he would continue talking.

“Yeah, I guess? I don’t really know. Like I said, I need to learn.” Alex could hear the noise level ramping up in the bar and he glanced over at the door, wondering if he was keeping the man from his other duties. 

“And you were hoping to find someone to learn with,” Landry said as he followed Alex’s gaze to the door, wondering if he was going to try to leave again.

Alex’s head snapped back to the conversation. “Just a place, not a person,” he said. 

“So you have someone but neither of you is experienced.” It was like a puzzle and Landry was doing his best to fit the pieces together. 

“What’s your name?” Alex said, changing the subject completely. “You want to know my deepest darkest secrets and I don’t even know who you are.” It felt good to take control back temporarily, even if the victory would be temporary. 

“My name is Landry,” he answered, smiling as he waited for Alex’s next diversionary tactic.

“It’s nice to meet you, Landry,” he said, holding his hand out across the desk. 

Landry took the offered hand in his and shook it firmly. “It’s nice to meet you, too, Alex.” 

Alex squeezed Landry’s hand and held it maybe just a moment longer than necessary before he released. He didn’t answer Landry’s earlier question, hoping maybe they’d just move on. 

“Tell me what it is you want to learn,” Landry said softly as he stared into Alex’s eyes.

“I don’t even know how to answer that,” Alex said honestly. “Because I don’t know what’s out there.” 

“But you know enough to want to learn more about BDSM?” Landry had never encountered someone like Alex. He found himself wanting to help the young man, but he had no idea how to do it. He understood the consequences and the likelihood of someone taking advantage of Alex’s inexperience. 

“Yes.” Alex could feel Landry’s hesitance and he wasn’t sure how to interpret it. “I’m intrigued. And I know the internet isn’t the right place to learn what it’s really like.” 

“And what about it intrigues you?” Landry continued. “Do you like . . . “ He hesitated, suddenly finding the words for his lifestyle more difficult to verbalize than usual. “To be dominant. Or do you think that you’d like someone to dominate you?”

“I don’t want to be in charge,” Alex said after a moment’s thought. It felt weird and awkward to be talking to someone he barely knew about this, but he also didn’t want to stop. 

“All right,” Landry smiled encouragingly. “So you are more of a submissive. What about pain? You mentioned a dungeon before so you’ve probably thought about it.” 

Alex realized he was in over his head. In reality he should have known that before, but it was painfully obvious now. “Maybe? I don’t really know.” 

“So you’ve never experimented with your lover?” Landry prodded.

“No,” Alex said. “I haven’t and I don’t,” he added. It was obvious that Landry was operating on a whole different level and even though Alex found himself attracted strongly to him, he knew this was all out of his league. 

“But you want to.” It wasn’t a question. Alex had told him. 

Alex nodded. He was overwhelmed by the whole conversation, especially coming from someone he’d just met. It was too much, too fast. He pushed his chair away from the desk. “I should go,” he said softly. 

“Maybe I can find someone else you can talk to about this,” Landry offered. He knew he was failing miserably, but he really did want to help Alex. “Someone who doesn’t ask so many questions,” he added with a smile. 

“Oh no,” Alex said with a smile. “I’ve already been mortified in front of one stranger tonight, that’s quite enough. I learned a lot, so thank you.”

“Alex,” Landry said as he stood up. “Just be careful. Someone like you can be very appealing to the wrong kind of person.” 

Alex paused, taking in what Landry said. “Wrong kind of person?” He stood up, but even then Landry was too tall to truly look him in the eye. “Like the kind that would take you to a private back office and shut the door so no one could see what happened?"

Landry was caught off guard by the question, but he nodded and replied. “Yeah. The kind like that.”

“Well luckily for me, this time it worked out,” Alex smiled. “But I’ll be careful, I promise.” 

Before Landry could say anything else, the door burst open to reveal a rather angry looking Jules. “Landry you cannot hide in your office all night! It is YOUR birthday party so get out here and celebrate before I drag you out myself!” When she finished her rant, she looked at Alex and smiled. “Hello. Sorry for the interruption, but seriously, he needs to be at his own party.” 

“Jules. Enough,” Landry moaned. 

“Happy Birthday,” Alex said, backing toward the door. “Thanks again for not calling the cops,” he said as he started to slip away. 

Landry opened his mouth to ask Alex not to leave yet, but the boy was already gone. 

“Why would you call the cops?” Jules asked, a puzzled look on her face. “Is that a role playing thing?”

“Jules!” Landry barked before collapsing back into his chair with an irritated sigh. 

“Okay, that’s my cue,” Jules said before leaving, closing the door behind her. 

Landry held his head in his hands, elbows on the desk. Birthdays sucked.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex trudged back across the deserted campus with his overstuffed backpack weighing him down. He might be the only student that saw the inside of the library today, given that there were still two full weeks of break. There were a ton of books from his reading lists for the upcoming semester that he didn’t particularly want to buy, and so checking them out from the library was the best way to go.

“Gotta beat the rush,” he muttered as he waited to cross the street. 

Truth be told he was just looking for something to do to fill his days, his grand plans for becoming a whole new person having fizzled on the first attempt, thanks to Landry calling out his fake ID.

The more time that passed the more he was interested in finding out more, and of course Landry was his most obvious resource, but he hadn’t worked up the courage to go back. But still he found himself drawn to the nondescript door every time he visited the Quarter, wondering if Landry was there. 

✬✬✬

Landry was in the stockroom, looking over the liquor supply when Lou rapped on the opened door. 

“Hey. Remember that kid with the fake ID? He’s at the front and he’s asking for you,” Lou said. 

Landry knew immediately who his bouncer was referring to; he remembered the young man from New Year’s Eve quite clearly. “He’s trying to get into the bar again?”

“Nah. Just asking for you is all,” Lou answered with a shrug before he turned to leave. Landry turned off the light in the storeroom, closing and locking the door before he followed Lou to the front. 

It was him alright. And he looked more nervous than he had the night Landry first met him. 

“Hey, Alex,” Landry said with an easy smile as he approached the young man waiting by the entrance. 

“Hi,” Alex said, raising his hand to wave and then dropping it when he realized how stupid that would look. “I thought you might be here even though it’s daytime. You had an office so you must be one of the people in charge right? Of course it’s New Orleans so it’s not like bars close or anything so maybe you just don’t work the day shift. But you do since you are here. I’ll stop talking now,” he said weakly, kicking himself for his incoherent rambling. 

Landry suppressed the urge to chuckle, pursing his lips instead while still maintaining a smile. “I’m here most days. Most nights, too. I’m the owner,” he told Alex. 

“Oh,” Alex said, surprised. “Then I wouldn’t have had to worry about that.” 

Landry shook his head, still smiling at the adorably nervous boy. “Was there something I can help you with?” he asked.

“I was hoping maybe we could talk some more,” Alex said, digging his toe into a crack in the floor. “I left kinda abruptly last time.” 

“Yeah, it was kinda crazy that night. I’m glad you came back though,” Landry said sincerely. “We can definitely talk some more.”

“I’m sorry I took you away from your birthday party,” Alex said. “I wouldn’t have stuck around if I’d known.” 

“You didn’t take me away. My friend was being dramatic. There’s no need to apologize,” Landry replied. “So when would you like to talk?”

“I don’t want to take you away from work,” Alex said, gesturing at the bar. “I just didn’t know how else to find you again.” 

“It’s fine,” Landry assured him. “Did you want to do it now?” he asked.

Alex shrugged. “Sure.” Now that the moment was actually here he felt his words slipping away again. Something about being in Landry’s presence made him lose some of his faculties. 

“We can go to the office again . . .” Landry looked around the mostly empty bar. “Or a table in the back?”

“I don’t want to get you in trouble by having someone underaged in the bar,” Alex said. “Even if I’m just a few months shy.” 

“Good point,” Landry agreed. “There’s a coffee shop around the corner. Can I buy you a coffee?”

“I’d like that,” Alex smiled. He also like the idea of not being trapped in the back office with Landry in case he panicked again and needed to get away. 

“Okay. Good,” Landry nodded. After a quick word to Lou, they were on their way to the coffee shop. “So just a few months shy of 21?” he asked after a few minutes of walking in silence.

“May,” Alex said with a nod. “So there is no way you could tell just by looking I wasn’t 21.” 

“It isn’t the way you look, it’s the way you acted,” Landry explained. “You were really nervous. You weren’t selling yourself as a confident 21 year old and Lou wasn’t buying it,” he laughed softly. 

“So people that come to your…” he groped for the right word, “ _gatherings_ never look nervous?” Alex stepped to the side as they approached the door of the coffee shop and Landry held open the door for him. 

“Gatherings?” Landry repeated as he followed Alex into the coffee shop. “You make it sound like a meeting of druid priests,” he joked. “I told you, it’s a bar. A regular bar where all kinds of people, people over 21, come to get a drink and meet other people.”

“Maybe druid priests are into that kind of thing,” Alex smiled, continuing the joke. “Who am I to judge?” 

“You still haven’t told me what you were hoping to find. And I know it wasn’t a druid priest.” Landry gestured for Alex to go ahead of him to place his order at the counter. 

Alex ordered his coffee, putting the conversation on hold for a moment. Once they were done, he picked back up where he’d left off. “But seriously though, I can’t be the first person who looked nervous talking about that stuff with other people.” 

“Honestly?” Landry lowered his head and looked Alex in the eyes. “No, you’re not the first person who was nervous, but you are the first one that I’ve met who’s called it ‘that stuff’.”

Alex looked around. “I didn’t want anyone to overhear,” he said, although there was clearly no one paying them any mind. 

“Relax. No one is close enough to hear us,” Landry assured him. “Take a deep breath, a drink of your coffee then you can ask me what you wanted to.”

Alex nodded and then did as he was told. Two slow deep breaths and a sip of his piping hot drink. “Better,” he said with a smile. 

Landry took a drink of his coffee and waited for Alex’s question. 

Toying with the cardboard sleeve on his cup, Alex tried to formulate his first thought. “You warned me about the ‘wrong kind of person,’ but how am I supposed to know who the wrong kind of person is?” It was awkward and worded poorly and would never pass muster in class or in a paper but it had to do for now.

“It’s not easy. And it’s not always possible,” Landry replied frankly. “I was just trying to warn you to be careful.” He tilted his head as he thought about what he wanted to say next. “Most people in the lifestyle are consenting adults who are in agreement about what they want from their relationship. But there are some people who do their thing by taking advantage of someone else. It’s not even. It’s one person getting what they want by taking it from the other one.” 

“But how do you know before it’s too late?” Alex pressed. “How is someone new supposed to know when what is happening is normal, and when it isn’t?”

“You have to trust your instincts. If it doesn’t feel right and it’s not what you want, then you need to walk away,” Landry replied.

Alex nodded, even though he still wasn’t sure he’d know the difference. “And how do you find people who like the same things you like?”

“There are groups, fetish clubs. It’s not that hard once you’re open to it. My bar is another place, but not until May,” Landry smiled. 

“It will be too late by then,” Alex said, shaking his head. “So where would I find those other places? I happened on to your bar by chance.” 

“You have a deadline?” asked Landry. 

“Kind of,” Alex said, realizing that it probably did sound rather strange. “It’s a long story.” 

Landry just stared at Alex, obviously waiting for him to continue.

Alex waited for a long moment until it was clear that Landry was going to wait him out. “I’ve given myself this spring semester to relax, but as soon as it’s over I have to push to the finish with school. I need to get a full ride to graduate school so between the GREs, classes, and doing all of the out of class things that I need to do to stand out, I won’t have time for anything like this.” 

Landry’s stare turned skeptical. “So you have a break in your schedule so you thought you’d try to fit in some kinky sex?” he asked. 

Drawing back in his chair and crossing his arms, Alex frowned. “It’s not like that.” 

“Okay then. Cut the crap and give it to me straight. What is it that you want?” Landry pushed.

“It’s not crap,” Alex protested. “I’m sorry I bothered you with it at all.” He reached for his jacket, ready to leave and forget this had ever happened. 

“I’m sorry I called it crap,” Landry said with a sigh. “But you are never going to get anywhere with this until you can express what you want.”

Alex paused and then slowly let go of his jacket. “I don’t know how,” he said, a hint of frustration in his voice. “You say that like it’s the easiest thing in the world, but I don’t even have words to talk about this. Like literally, I don’t know the words for things.” 

"Then use your own words and tell me what you want. Tell me how you want to feel," urged Landry. "I can't help you if I don't know what you want."

It didn’t escape Alex’s notice that Landry said that _he_ could help. He glanced around, being sure no one had moved close enough to listen in on their conversation. “One time when I was with someone he kinda...held me down. And I liked it.” 

Landry nodded in encouragement. “Good, good. You mentioned you felt more like a submissive than a dominant so that makes sense. Is there anything else that you liked?” 

Alex flushed as more memories came flooding back. “One time a guy spanked me,” he said, with almost no sound behind the word spanked. “He was being playful but…” he paused, for a moment. “I think I would have liked it to not be playful.” 

Landry nodded again. “Okay, so a little roughness. And maybe a little pain?” he suggested. 

Alex nodded. To him it felt like he’d just admitted something enormous, but Landry’s face was passive like he’d just said something banal. 

“It’s okay,” Landry said softly. “Breathe,” he added with a smile when he noticed how pale Alex had turned. Landry tried to remember how it felt to be young and yearning to experiment. “You’re doing great. Some people are never able to say what they like or want, even to themselves.” 

“It seems so easy to you. Were you always this calm?” Alex realized he knew next to nothing about Landry, other than the fact that he owned a bar and was into kinky sex. 

“No,” Landry replied honestly. “I was nervous and uncertain. But then you realize, it’s not that big a deal. It’s sex. And doing what makes you, and your partner, feel good. Right?” 

“I can’t picture you nervous and uncertain,” Alex said with a smile. “You weren’t just born cool, calm, and collected?”

“At the risk of ruining your first impression of me, I will confess that no, I am not always calm and collected,” Landry replied. “But we’re not here to talk about me, we are here to help you. Tell me something, the guys you were with, have you ever asked them to do more of the things that you liked?”

Frustrated that Landry kept avoiding talking about himself, Alex sighed. “No. I was afraid they’d think I was a freak.” 

Landry sensed Alex’s irritation. “But you know you aren’t a freak, I hope?”

“Aren’t I though? I mean this stuff...it’s not _normal._ I don’t think it’s bad or anything, it’s just not…” Alex shook his head. “I don’t even know.” 

“We’ve talked about ‘normal’,” Landry reminded. “Would you have thought one of those guys you were with was a freak if he’d asked you to spank him or tie him down? Do you think I’m not normal because I’m into BDSM?” he pressed. Landry didn’t want to be too hard on Alex, he just wanted the boy to get some perspective.

“No, but that’s because I’m into that. How are you supposed to know if the other guy is?” Alex finished his coffee and pushed the cup aside. 

“How do you know anything is true? You ask. You observe. But you also have to leave yourself open to accept it.” Landry reached for his coffee, sighing before he took another drink. The boy was pushing his buttons. He had resorted to arguing philosophy to try and help him understand. 

Alex could feel Landry’s irritation. As hard as this was for him he didn’t want to lose his one lifeline to answers about what he’d been feeling. “Sorry, I know I’m being a pain.” 

“If you know it, then you can stop it,” Landry pointed out, a bit sharper than intended. “Sorry. See? Not always calm and collected. But it doesn’t mean that I don’t want to help you.”

Alex lowered his eyes, staring at the table. “I’m sorry, too. You’re right, I need to think about what I’m saying.” 

Definitely a submissive. That fact made Landry surprisingly uncomfortable, almost as if he’d rather it not be true. “So . . .” He coughed a bit to clear his throat. “You want to meet someone, another guy, to learn with. Is that fair to say?”

“Yes. That’s what I was after back on New Year’s,” Alex confirmed. “I thought maybe I’d finally found somewhere that there might be people like me.” 

“There are people like you there. I don’t know, there may be someone you like in our group,” Landry said as he mentally scanned through the people he knew and interacted with the most. “We meet other places,” he added. “Not just the bar. And since that’s a problem for you, maybe you could join one of those gatherings,” Landry smiled, teasing Alex with the word he’d used earlier.

Alex tried not to get his hopes up, in case Landry pulled the rug out from under him. “Or you could just let me in the bar. I have a good fake,” he smiled. 

“You are welcome at the bar any time . . . after May,” Landry grinned. 

“So mean,” Alex said, shaking his head. “Okay, so where else do you go?”

“The next one is at a restaurant. I don’t remember which one, but I can get the name for you,” Landry replied. 

“Should I give you my number?” Alex found himself hoping that Landry might use it for more than just telling him about the next gathering. “Or should I keep turning up unannounced at the bar?” he smiled. 

Landry reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Give me your number,” he smiled as he tapped the screen. “I’ll send you the details when I get them.” 

Alex read off his digits and checked to be sure Landry had it right. “Are they pretty accepting of newbies?” 

“Always,” Landry answered without hesitation. “Not everyone there will be interested in finding someone to hook up with. Some people are in committed relationships and they may be there to just socialize. It’s an eclectic mix.”

“So don’t just throw myself at someone. Got it,” Alex teased. 

Landry smiled and nodded. “Can I give you some advice?” he asked cautiously.

“Isn’t that the whole point of what we are doing here?” Alex asked. “So yes, definitely.” 

“Take it slow. There are a lot of aspects to this lifestyle. Some of them you’ll like and others you will want to stay away from. I understand that you’re eager and you’ve explained your time issues, but I don’t want you to jump into something you will regret.”

“Find one of the good ones, right?” Alex said. “Someone I can trust.” He still wasn’t completely sure how he was supposed to know, but he hoped Landry would look out for him. 

“Find someone who likes the same things you do,” Landry advised. “And don’t agree to do things you know you don’t like, even if you like the person.”

Alex nodded. “Except I don’t really know what all I do and don’t like until I try it,” he said, making a face. “This is all very complicated.” 

“It gets easier. I promise,” Landry said. 

“If you say so,” Alex said, wanting to believe him. 

“I do say so. So listen to me. I know what I’m talking about. Most of the time.” Landry grinned, reaching for his coffee.

Alex almost found himself saying “yes, Sir”, but he bit it back before it came out of his mouth. He had no idea where it had come from. “I’ll try,” Alex promised, managing to recover.

“And no more bars until after May,” Landry added for good measure.

“Never had a problem with my fake ID until I met you,” Alex pointed out.

“Actually Lou is the one who pointed it out.” Landry took a drink of his coffee, his hazel eyes twinkling over the cup. 

“I could have sweet talked my way in the door if you hadn’t intervened,” Alex smiled. “You just flustered me.” 

“Oh yeah, you had him eating out of your hand,” Landry huffed. “And how did I fluster you? You’d barely answer a question.”

“Because you flustered me!” Alex protested, not wanting to explain his immediate attraction to Landry. 

“Well, I’m glad you got over it,” he smiled. Landry really was glad that Alex had returned to talk to him and he sincerely hoped he was able to help him. 

✬✬✬

Alex stood up and stretched. The lecture was engaging, but the seats in the auditorium left much to be desired. While not as bad as some of the desks they crammed the students into in the giant lecture halls, his ass was definitely a little numb. 

He waited for the row to clear out, taking the opportunity to scan the crowd. He was surprised there weren’t more students there, several of his professors had offered extra credit, but he supposed it was so early in the semester that most of them didn’t think ahead to when they might be needing every last point. 

He was just about to turn and leave when a familiar profile caught his eye. It was out of place in this environment and it took his brain a moment to process. _Landry._ He found himself practically jogging to be sure to put himself in the other man’s path out of the auditorium. 

Landry had his head down as he walked, looking at the brochure in his hand. He was moving with the crowd and finally lifted his head as they started to exit the building. 

“Alex?” he asked when he saw the young man. 

“Hey!” Alex said casually, as if Landry had just happened onto him, rather than it being a carefully crafted meeting. “What on earth are you doing here?” 

Landry smiled, pointing at the auditorium behind him. “The lecture,” he replied as he openly assessed Alex. 

“Obviously,” Alex said, shaking his head at his own lack of finesse. He could feel Landry’s eyes on him and he suddenly wished he’d put a little effort into his appearance, rather than going for comfort. But then again he hadn’t planned on seeing anyone important.

“How’s it going?” Landry asked as he took Alex’s elbow and moved them away from the flow of people still leaving the lecture. 

“Good. I was expecting to see you at…” he knew now that the proper term for what he’d attended was munch, but the word still felt strange to him. “...the gathering last weekend.” 

“And I was planning on being there, but I had some issues with covering the bar that night. I’m sorry I missed it,” Landry replied. “How was it?” he added, interested in Alex’s first experience with the group. 

“It was…” Alex tried to come up with a word that encompassed the entire experience. “Overwhelming.” He still hadn’t processed everything he’d seen and heard, but it had preoccupied most of this thoughts ever since. 

“I can imagine,” Landry agreed with a smile. “I’d like to talk to you more about it some time. If that’s something you want, too?” he added quickly. 

“Absolutely,” Alex said, realizing after it was out how overly eager he sounded. But the truth was, he needed Landry as a sounding board and a safe space to ask questions. 

“Good,” Landry smiled. He was relieved that he hadn’t scared Alex away and that the young man still wanted his help. 

Alex could sense that the auditorium was just about empty and he knew the staff would be moving them along soon. He took a deep breath and just went for it. “I don’t suppose now would be good? We could grab a bite to eat…” 

Landry was surprised by the offer, pleasantly surprised. “Now would be good and I could definitely eat,” he smiled. “Where should we go?”

“Pizza or poboys?” Alex smiled. “I’m in college after all, so I have all those places scoped out.” 

“Poboys,” Landry replied. “Are you at Tulane?” he asked, gesturing over his shoulder at the campus behind them. 

“Yes,” he said, leading the way out of the building. “So that explains why I was at the lecture, but I’m still curious about you.” 

“About me?” Landry asked as they walked out into the cool January night.

“About why you were at a random academic lecture here on campus,” Alex said, zipping up his hooded sweatshirt. 

“Oh, that. The speaker is a former colleague of mine. We went to graduate school together,” Landry answered. 

Alex stopped dead in his tracks. “You went to graduate school? With Dr. Franklin?” While Alex knew there wasn’t all that much he really knew about Landry, it still blew his mind. 

Landry continued a few steps before he realized that Alex had stopped walking. “Yes, I did. Only he wasn’t Dr. Franklin then,” he smiled as he turned to look at Alex. “Should I be offended at how surprised you are right now?” Landry asked with a grin and a tilt of his head.

“You have to admit that it would have been hard for me to see that coming,” Alex said, starting to walk again. “That was like two completely separate parts of my life colliding.” 

Falling back into step with Alex, Landry laughed softly under his breath. “So were you at the lecture for school or on your own time?” 

“I’ll get extra credit for it, but honestly I probably would have gone anyway,” Alex said, silently adding _because I’m nerdy like that_ in his head. “It was a great lecture.”

“It was. He’s a good speaker,” Landry agreed. “What’s your major? You mentioned you’re a junior and you want to go to grad school, but not what you’re studying.” 

“I’m a history major,” Alex said, rounding the corner that would take them to the poboy shop. “I’d love to be a professor some day but it’s super competitive so I know I have to be absolutely top of the line at everything.” 

“History was my minor,” Landry revealed with a smile. He wondered if Alex would be as surprised by that fact as he was with the other. 

“Really? Well that makes sense if you knew Dr. Franklin. What was your major?” He held open the door to the restaurant and let Landry pass. 

“Philosophy.” Landry waited for Alex before they walked toward the counter to place their order. “Don’t tell me that philosophy is your minor or it might get spooky,” he grinned.

“It’s not. But I took philosophy for my humanities requirement and enjoyed it,” Alex said, finding it a little eerie as well. “So not to be too forward, but how does one go from graduate school in philosophy to owning a bar?” He knew the menu by heart, so he could focus on Landry rather than what he wanted to eat. 

“It’s a valid question. But I’m not sure I have a good answer for it.” Landry searched the menu for what he wanted then gave his order. He looked at Alex and waited for him to do the same. 

Alex ordered, and then pulled out his wallet. “I’d offer to pay for both but I don’t have enough cash for yours too,” he said sheepishly. 

Landry pulled out his own wallet. “Let me get this,” he said as he took out enough cash to cover the order. “You can get it the next time,” he added with a smile. 

“I’ll be sure to hit up the ATM the next time I attend a lecture that might appeal to you in case we meet again,” Alex teased, putting his wallet away. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. 

“You’re welcome,” Landry said as he took his change and dropped it all into the tip jar on the counter. He looked around the small shop and chose a table at the back so they could have more privacy. Landry was eager to hear about Alex’s impression of the munch and he knew from past experience that he would want privacy to talk about it.

Alex was thankful that Landry steered them to the back. They got everything settled and then silence stretched between them as their small talk petered out. Alex knew Landry was waiting for him to start and he just needed to do it. “So I survived the gathering, even though you weren’t there to keep me safe,” he said, settling for a slightly teasing tone. 

Landry chuckled softly. “I apologize for falling down on my bodyguard duty,” he joked right back. “But you don’t look any worse for wear so it must not have been too bad.”

“Intimidating,” Alex acknowledged, “but ultimately not that scary. Have they all given you a full report on me?”

“The only person I’ve talked to is Jules. She’s the one who burst into the office?” Landry explained. “She said you were, and I am just quoting her okay, so no killing the messenger,” he warned. “A cutie pie and she could just eat you up.”

“Oh my god,” Alex said, blood rushing to his face. He took a sip of his drink while he tried to compose himself. “I don’t even know how to respond to that.” 

Landry had the urge to brush his fingers over the blush on Alex’s cheeks. Jules had been entirely correct in her assessment. “I think you made a good first impression,” he said in encouragement. 

“It was definitely weird to jump in with a group that already is rather established. And add to that the fact that I don’t really...speak their language...and I’m sure a lot of things ended up going over my head.” Alex felt so much more comfortable with Landry, but maybe it was because they were one-on-one. 

“Did you meet anyone that you might be interested in?” asked Landry. He almost didn’t want to know the answer to that question, but it had been on his mind since running into Alex tonight. 

Alex took a bite of his sandwich to give himself time to put together his answer. “Everyone was very nice and all…” he trailed off, not knowing how to say that none of them were really his type. 

“But no one you could see as a potential partner,” Landry finished for him.

Alex shook his head. “But then again I didn’t get to know everyone really well in just one night so maybe there is someone there I just didn’t connect enough with.” Alex couldn’t make himself sound convincing, and he knew Landry would see through it. 

“It’s not easy,” Landry commiserated. “It’s like dating, finding someone you like and who you are physically attracted to, but with the added wrinkle of finding someone who is into the same things you are.”

“Yes!” Alex said, Landry having managed to put his finger on exactly what he hadn’t been able to formulate into words. “It seems nearly impossible to navigate that.” 

“But it’s not. I promise. You will find someone,” Landry told him.

Alex took a deep breath, and let his words flow out, trying not to overthink them. “What about you? I mean, why not you?”

Landry was just about ready to bite into his poboy when Alex asked his question. “Why not me what?” he asked, the sandwich frozen in front of him. 

“I’m attracted to you,” Alex said, too far gone to hold back now, even though this could careen into disastrous territory. “And I know we share some...common interests, so….” he trailed off. 

“Alex,” Landry said slowly as he lowered his sandwich. He knew he had to be careful with his reply unless he wanted to destroy the rapport he’d managed to build with the other man. “I’m flattered. Sincerely. You are a very attractive young man. But I don’t think I’m the best choice for you.”

Alex forced himself to keep the same expression on his face so Landry wouldn’t see him falter. “It’s not me, it’s you?” he asked, trying to use humor to diffuse the situation. 

“No, actually it is you,” Landry smiled. “I want the best for you. And I don’t think that’s me.”

“Oh,” Alex said softly, poking at his poboy so he didn’t have to look at Landry. “Why’s that? Are you one of the bad guys?” He was sure Landry wasn’t, their interactions so far were enough for him to know that. 

“I don’t think so,” Landry replied, reaching over to touch Alex’s arm to get him to look at him. “But I do think I’m too old for you.”

Alex forced his eyes up. “Seriously? The age card,” he shook his head. “If you aren’t attracted to me, you can just say so, but don’t use the age excuse.” 

“It’s not that I’m not attracted to you,” Landry said. Nothing could be further from the truth. “You’re very sexy. And smart. And stubborn.”

“But wrong for you,” Alex finished with a sigh. 

“There’s nothing wrong about you. For me or anyone,” Landry said quietly. “I know you’re anxious to find someone. And you will. And it’s going to be great.”

Alex nodded and returned to his sandwich. “But you’ll still be around for advice? And questions?” 

“Absolutely. You know where to find me,” Landry smiled. 

A thought occurred to Alex. “You have someone don’t you. A…” he paused, lowering his voice. “A sub? Someone special?”

“No. I mean yes the term is ‘sub’, but I don’t have anyone special right now,” Landry replied, reaching for his drink. 

“Oh, ok.” _Then it really is me._ Alex ate more of his sandwich while he thought. “Is that what the munches are for you too? Somewhere to look for a partner?”

“They can be. But a lot of them are my friends so it’s nice to get together with them, too.” Landry stared at Alex, concerned about the boy’s feelings. “And not everyone in the group is a nice person. That’s why I want you to be careful.”

“I’ll be careful,” Alex promised. “But I can’t promise to be patient.” He did manage a smile with that one, despite the dismay he felt. 

Landry took a bite of his poboy, thinking as he chewed. “Have you done any research on it?” he asked after a moment.

“What kind of research, on what exactly?” Alex asked, the only possible answer to such a broad query. 

“BDSM. Have you read anything? Looked online?” Landry asked.

Alex set down his food and wipes his hands on a napkin. “I told you before that I don’t think the internet is a good place to learn this stuff. But yeah, I’ve seen some stuff. Why?”

“Then you know it’s psychological as much as it is physical. It requires trust. And that’s not something you should be impatient about,” Landry explained. 

“Why are you always right,” Alex grumbled. “It’s rather irritating you know.” 

Landry smiled. “Just looking out for you, that’s all.”

“Whatever,” Alex said, but the tone in voice showed he understood. 

“You sure you’re a sub? Obedience doesn’t seem to be your favorite thing,” Landry teased.

“I’m pretty sure there’s a difference there. I might not know much, but I’m confident on that one,” Alex said. 

“Well, there’s always a ball gag.” Landry grinned before taking another bite of his poboy.

Alex’s eyes widened. “That escalated quickly,” he murmured, wrapping up the last part of his po’boy to save for later. 

Landry laughed and shook his head. He knew whoever Alex ended up with, they would have their hands full.

“Thanks again for dinner,” Alex said, gathering up some of their trash and tossing it into a nearby bin. “Even if you did turn me down when I threw myself at you,” he teased. 

“You’re welcome,” Landry replied with a smile. He wished things were different, but he knew he was doing the right thing by refusing Alex’s offer.

✬✬✬

Landry pulled up the email address for Alex and started typing.

_Just wanted to let you know that the next munch is_

He smiled and hit the backspace button. 

_the next gathering is going to be at Jules' house on Friday night._

Landry smiled as he thought of Alex and was sure that he would appreciate the inside joke they shared. He hadn't seen Alex since the night of the lecture when Landry had turned him down. He remembered the look of disappointment in the boy's eyes. He remembered feeling the desire to do whatever he needed to do to make it go away. 

He believed he was doing the best thing for Alex, especially when not doing the best thing would be so easy. Landry liked Alex. He appreciated his intelligence, he enjoyed his humor and he admired his tenacity. Most of all, he desired Alex. 

The young man was just his type physically - slender build, smooth pale skin, dark hair and dark eyes filled with heat and mischief. The full bottom lip that Landry longed to rake his teeth over then soothe the scrape with a deep kiss. Alex's ass was the first thing he had noticed about him, but soon he'd realized that it was only one of the young man's attractive assets.

Any dom should be happy to have someone like Alex - ready and willing to learn. So why did it bother him so much whenever the thought of Alex subbing for someone else entered his mind? 

Landry put away his phone and once again forced himself to think about something else.

He was doing the right thing even if it wasn't easy.


	3. Chapter 3

Alex found himself daydreaming in class, something that rarely happened. When he finally realized what had happened he sat up straighter in his seat, and focused his resolve on the lecture at hand. It didn’t work for long though as there was something on his mind much more powerful than thoughts about his academics.

_Landry._

He’d been going through the motions of trying to meet other people. He’d RSVP’d to go to Jules' this weekend, but at this point he wasn’t hopeful. Landry had spoiled him for others, even if they hadn’t done anything but talk. He supposed he could try one more time, but that would be it. He’d call the grand experiment a failure and move on. 

✬✬✬

Landry took the drink Jules gave him as he continued to scan the group for a familiar face.

"Hey Jules, have you seen Alex?" he asked before taking a sip of the drink. 

"Yes. He's here. Arrived a few minutes ago. He's with David," she replied as she turned to leave. 

Landry sputtered in his drink. "Wait! What?" he asked, wiping his chin. 

Jules gave him a confused frown. "What what? Alex came with David," she repeated slowly and with purpose.

Landry scowled angrily. "But I told him . . ."

"Told him what exactly?" Jules interrupted. "Oh, never mind, I remember. You said you told him to find someone else. At least that's what you told me you told him." She placed a hand on her hip and stared at Landry who had forgotten what it was he was going to say. "Looks like he did what you told him to do, Lan," she continued in a softer tone. 

Landry nodded in defeat. "But . . ." He proceeded carefully. "You know what a Class A douche bag David is and what I was going to say is that I told Alex to be careful."

"And you and I both know that even though David is a douche bag, he can be extremely charming when he's cruising for someone new. And how would Alex be expected to know that?" Jules asked. 

"He wouldn't," Landry mumbled in defeat. 

"He would if you told him about David," Jules suggested. 

"Would he? Or would he think I was interfering when he's finally found someone?" countered Landry. "I've already disappointed him. I don't want to alienate him completely."

"Sounds like you care," she said.

"I do care," Landry replied. 

"Then do something about it." Jules shrugged as she turned again to leave, leaving Landry to think about his admission and what it meant.

Alex laid his hand on David’s arm as he leaned in close. There were multiple conversations going on at once and it was a little hard to hear. He didn’t protest when David suggested moving into the other room, although he did find himself glancing around just to see if Landry was anywhere to be found as they navigated their way into the kitchen. 

David was nice enough, and Alex had decided it would have to do. He was attractive and attentive and Alex had to admit he had nice eyes. Their conversation had remained fairly superficial, but Alex hadn’t seen any red flags. He’d been surprised to get his text asking about dinner before the munch, but evidently he’d made a bigger impression on the others than he’d realized. 

Just moments into their conversation in the kitchen, Alex found himself backed up against the counter as David kissed him soundly. He had to admit that David was a good kisser, but something just felt a little off about the whole thing.

Landry walked into the kitchen to the sight of Alex and David in a lip lock. “There you are!” he said loudly to announce his presence and to break up the kiss. “Alex, I’ve been looking for you. I need to talk to you,” Landry continued, grabbing hold of Alex’s hand before either of them had a chance to protest. He looked David in the eye, his contempt for the other man evident in his expression. “David,” he said coolly as he pulled Alex away.

Alex looked back and forth between the two men. He could feel something unspoken between them but he wasn’t sure what it was. “I’ll be...right back,” he said over his shoulder as Landry dragged him into the hall. 

“What are you doing?” Alex protested, Landry’s tight grip on his arm sure to leave a bruise. 

“I’m taking you somewhere we can talk,” Landry replied as he headed down the hallway and into a bedroom. He shut the door behind them then immediately his entire focus was on Alex as he backed him against the dresser, looming over him with his full height. “And getting you away from him.” 

Alex thought his heart might burst right out of his chest, it was pounding so hard. He stared up at Landry, his mouth opening and then closing again without any sound escaping. He could smell Landry’s cologne, and even feel the heat of his body and he had an overwhelming urge to sink to his knees at Landry’s feet, even if he didn’t exactly know why. 

Landry’s large hands circled Alex’s wrist, pushing his arms behind him as Landry lowered his head and spoke quietly. “When I told you no, it was because I was afraid of making a mistake. Now you are making a mistake with him. He is not what you need.” Landry pressed his lips against the shell of Alex’s ear. “I’ve changed my mind. If your offer still stands.”

For a moment Alex worried that the short circuit currently occurring in his brain was the source of Landry’s words, the warmth of Landry’s breath on his skin kept him tethered to reality. “It still stands,” he whispered back, almost afraid to breathe in case Landry took it back. 

“And you have to tell him about the change in plans,” Landry pulled back, his eyes staring into Alex’s. “Because I don’t share. Do you understand?” 

A full body shiver rumbled through Alex’s frame, and he bit back a soft moan when Landry’s hands tightened around his wrists in response. He managed a nod, having no idea what he’d say to David, but knowing that he’d do it without question. 

Landry pressed closer as his leg slipped between Alex’s knees. He released one of Alex’s wrists, his hand sliding into the boy’s hair. Landry tugged just hard enough for Alex’s chin to tip upward. “Good boy,” he said before claiming Alex’s mouth for a torrid kiss.

Alex melted, going liquid under Landry’s touch. A bomb could go off next to them, and Alex doubted that he’d even notice, as the kiss was all consuming. 

Indulging his own desire, Landry nipped at Alex’s lower lip, then sucked it softly to ease the sting. The way the boy yielded to him was all he needed to know that he’d made the right decision. 

This time Alex let the moan escape, and he pushed up on his toes to deepen the kiss. 

Landry pulled back and smiled at Alex’s blissful expression and his kiss-swollen lips. He cupped Alex’s slender neck with his hands, gently caressing his jaw line with the pads of his thumbs. “I’ll take you as far as you want to go,” he promised with a whisper.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Alex said quietly, wishing he could pinch himself to be sure it wasn’t a dream. 

“And as much as I would like to lock that door and throw you onto the bed, we are guests in Jules’ house so I will have to wait,” Landry told Alex before kissing him one more time for good measure.

Alex couldn’t manage to hold back the flood of mental images that Landry’s words conjured up in his brain. His eyes drifted to the bed but then snapped back to Landry’s face. “When can I see you again?” he asked, feeling a little shaky from the endorphin rush of the last few minutes. 

“Let’s get together tomorrow night, if you’re not busy. We need to discuss some things, get things straight before we go any further.” Landry looked at Alex straight on, forcing him to look back. “I’m as anxious as you are, but we need to do this right. Do you trust me?” 

“I do,” Alex said, and he’d never been so sure of anything in his life. 

“Good,” Landry smiled. “We should go back and join the others,” he said as he slipped his hand into Alex’s and walked him toward the door. Before Landry opened the door, he pulled Alex into his arms, squeezing his new boy’s ass as he kissed him again. 

Alex smiled, he could already feel the possessiveness in Landry’s touch. He wasn’t sure how he’d make it through the rest of the night, knowing now that his life was about to change. 

✬✬✬

Landry waited on the sidewalk outside the restaurant. It was a cold night, but he had his long hair pulled back into a neat man bun. Dressed in black, he blended with the shadows on the street. 

He was looking forward to seeing Alex again and ready to begin this new journey with him. Landry hoped it would be all the boy was wanting and needing in his desire to explore. 

Alex almost walked right by Landry, but at the last minute the other man caught his eye. ‘You’re hiding over here,” he smiled, stepping to the side so others could pass. 

“Waiting for you,” Landry replied, returning Alex’s smile. “I hope you like Italian. This is a quiet place where we can talk,” he explained. Landry rested a hand at the small of Alex’s back as he walked with him into the restaurant.

Landry’s hand was warm against his back, and some of Alex’s hesitations about meeting out in public were eased. “How have you been?”

“Since last night?” Landry teased. “I’ve been great,” he added sincerely as he met Alex’s gaze. 

“No regrets I hope,” Alex said, a flood of memories from the night before rushing back. 

“Not a one,” Landry replied without hesitation. The hostess greeted them then led them to a private booth where she gave them menus and told them their server would be with them shortly. Landry looked at Alex and smiled. “You look good,” he complimented. 

Alex blushed. He’d taken extra time and care getting ready tonight, but he didn’t realize it would be that obvious. “Thank you. You look as amazing as always. I like your hair pulled back like that.” 

“Thank you,” Landry said with a slight nod of his head. The waiter arrived at their table to take their drink order. Landry forwent his usual glass of wine since his younger companion was not yet 21 and ordered an iced tea instead. 

Alex ordered the same, but when the waiter left he caught Landry’s eye. “It’s ok if you drink. I don’t mind.” He knew the age thing bothered Landry, but he hoped they could get past that. 

“Thanks, but I was told once that it’s impolite to be the only one imbibing,” he explained. “And I like tea,” he added with a grin. He leaned back in his seat. “So how was your day? I’m guessing that you’ve been thinking about a few things since last night.” 

“Just a few.” He’d also spent some quality time in his bed, with his thoughts about Landry, but he wasn’t going to volunteer that information. “And you? Have you been thinking about last night?”

“I have. And I must admit I was uncharacteristically rash last night. Taking you away from your date like that. I won’t apologize, because I’m not really sorry,” Landry said, a slight smirk playing across his lips. “But I don’t want to give the impression that I don’t take this seriously.

“I’m not sorry you did it either. It was a little sticky to explain my sudden disinterest, but I managed.” Alex leaned in slightly. “So you don’t think of yourself as a rash person?”

“No. I try to make my decisions after thoughtful consideration. The important ones anyway,” Landry answered.

“But I make you rash?” Alex asked, a hint of a smile on his face. 

Landry smiled. “I might not have put it that way, but yeah, okay. Does that make you happy?” 

“A little. I like knowing that even if it’s in a very small way, I affect you just like you affect me.” Alex sat back as their drinks arrived, watching Landry’s face as he had to wait to speak again. 

Landry told the waiter they needed a few more minutes before they ordered. When they were alone again, it was his turn to lean in. “You do affect me,” he said softly. “Another reason why I changed my mind. I think we can be good for each other.”

“So it was about us...or at least the potential of an “us” and not just because you didn’t approve of David?” Alex spoke softly, even though there wasn’t anyone close enough to hear them. 

“It’s completely about us. No one else,” Landry replied. “Now look at your menu before the waiter comes back,” he added with a smile. 

Alex did as he was told, scanning the menu. “Do you have a recommendation?” he asked, figuring Landry had been here before. The low simmer of arousal that was heating his belly made it hard to concentrate on food. 

“The veal piccata is really good. They do a great chicken parm, too, but their shrimp scampi is the best,” Landry advised.

“What are you getting?” Alex asked. “Are you up for each getting something different and sharing?” He had no idea of Landry was the kind of person who was weird about sharing things like food, but he figured he might as well find out. 

“Good idea. Tell me which two you want to try. I’ve eaten here dozens of times and I like it all, so anything you pick is going to be fine with me.” 

“I’ll take the shrimp,” Alex said, trusting Landry’s recommendation, “and the chicken parm. I’ve never had veal, so let’s save that adventure for another time.” 

“Excellent choices,” Landry smiled. “Their portions are enormous so those two will be enough to feed a family of four,” he added with a soft chuckle. The waiter returned and they gave him their order. “So . . .” Landry reached for his iced tea. “How are your classes this semester? You mentioned it’s your junior year?”

“So far so good,” Alex said with a nod. “It’s still early but it seems like it will be a manageable workload. I always seem to take on too much though so we’ll see as the semester progresses.” 

“Are you from New Orleans?” Landry asked. It suddenly struck him that he hardly knew anything about Alex, yet he had made a serious commitment to the other man. 

Alex shook his head. “No. I grew up a few hours from here, but never really visited or anything until I came to school. You?”

“Born and raised. Lived here all my life, except the four years I was away at college. Came back here for grad school though, as you know. My mother wanted me to go to an east coast school.”

“Why?” Neither of Alex’s parents had taken much of an interest in his college search, and they rarely visited even though he wasn’t all that far away. 

“Because she’s not from here. My father’s family is though,” Landry replied. “What did your parents think about you going to college in New Orleans?”

“They already think I’m going to hell so I don’t know that it really mattered,” Alex laughed. “We get along well enough, but they are super Catholic and so there are always little muttered inferences to my damnation. 

“That’s rough,” Landry replied sympathetically. “Brothers or sisters?” 

“Younger brother. He’s much more interested in visiting,” Alex said with another smile. “But I try to keep him out of trouble when he comes.” 

“If he’s anything like you that’s probably not an easy task,” Landry teased. 

“I don’t get in trouble,” Alex protested. “In fact I’m incredibly straight laced. This is my one grand experiment in trying something new.” 

Landry laughed. He couldn’t help it. “But you’ve got to admit it’s a big one,” he said.

“I don’t do things halfway,” Alex agreed. “But I also don’t act rashly. I’m a thinker and a planner.” 

One of Landry’s eyebrows arched with Alex’s use of the word “rash”. “That’s good,” he murmured with a nod, imagining what it will be like when he made the other boy lose control. “What do you do when you’re not studying or planning? Any hobbies?”

“Nothing really out of the ordinary,” Alex said after a moment’s thought. “I like watching movies, I play some video games, I attend lectures by noted historians,” he said with a wink.

Landry smiled. “Do you live on campus?” 

“No, I have a tiny studio just off campus. I did live on for the first two years.” Alex was eager to turn the conversation to Landry, he was tired of the twenty questions feel. “Speaking of living conditions, what is it like to live above a bar?”

“Convenient,” Landry replied. “It’s a good space. There’s a great courtyard in the back, too. I thought of having the bar open to it, but I haven’t decided yet.” 

“And it doesn’t bother you to never really get away from work? I mean even when you aren’t working you’re still... at work really.” Alex reached for his drink. “And isn’t it loud?”

“No, not really. It’s very different from the bar. You’ll see,” Landry told him. 

“Is that a promise?” Alex glanced around to be sure no one was near. “We could just get our dinner to go…” 

Landry smiled and shook his hand. “You’re going to be a handful. I know it.”

“You keep saying that,” Alex said, taking another sip of his tea. “I don’t think it’s true.” 

“We have some things we need to talk about first, especially since this is your first time with this. I want it to be a good experience for you. For the both of us,” Landry explained. He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket to pull out a piece of paper and hand it to Alex. “I want you to take this list and look it over.”

“List?” Alex asked, slightly confused. He took the paper from Landry and started to look it over. As soon as his brain processed what is was actually a list _of_ he slammed it face down on the table. “Here?” he said, his voice slightly squeakier than he would have liked. 

“No. Not here,” Landry smiled at Alex’s reaction. “Put it away and when you have time I want you to read over the list and really think about each thing, okay? It’s a limits list. It’s used for setting boundaries. The usual rating is yes, no and maybe. No being a hard limit meaning that you are not interested in that under any circumstances.”

Alex took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. “What if I’m not sure what something is?” Just the cursory glance told him there was a whole world of things out there he’d never even considered. 

“Just ask me, I’ll tell you,” Landry said softly. He reached across the table and took Alex’s hand. “It’s nothing to stress about. If you only want to try three things on the list then that’s what we’ll do, okay?”

Alex swallowed hard and then nodded. What he’d been after was suddenly becoming a reality. 

“If you want to change your mind, that’s okay, too,” said Landry.

Emphatically shaking his head, Alex said “No. I want this.” He made sure to look Landry in the eye as he said it so there would be no doubt. 

“Okay. As long as you know you have the option to change your mind,” he said. “Being submissive doesn’t mean giving up consent.” 

Alex thought that over. “Is that always true? It seems like some people don’t see it that way.” He didn’t want to name names, but he’d gotten the distinct impression from David that he might have had a different opinion on that subject. 

“You’re right. Some people don’t see it that way, but I’m not one of them. I’m not going to force you to do something that you are not into.” Landry lowered his voice. “My pleasure comes from your pleasure.” 

Alex felt a wave of heat flush through his skin. He wanted nothing more than to give Landry that pleasure he craved. 

“Communication is key, so you have to be open with me. About everything,” Landry explained. 

“Will you be open with me as well?” Alex asked. “Explain things to me? I don’t want to do things wrong just because I don’t know better.” 

“I will. When I first met you, you said you wanted to learn, so I will teach you,” Landry promised. “There are a lot of aspects to this lifestyle and I think you should know about all of them. Even the ones that I am not particularly interested in.”

Alex pulled back slightly. “I don’t want you doing things you don’t like, just for me,” he said. 

“And I won’t. But I will tell you about them,” Landry clarified.

“Ok,” Alex said, relaxing slightly. “Do you have one of these?” he asked, tapping the papers on the table. “So I can see what you like?”

Landry smiled at the young man’s thoroughness. “Isn’t this more about your learning experience?” 

“Isn’t part of that experience learning how to tell what a dom likes? How to please him?” Alex turned bright red as the waiter arrived with their food just as the last words came out of his mouth. 

Landry waited for the waiter to leave again before he replied. “Answer me honestly, wouldn’t having my list influence your own likes and dislikes?”

Alex thought about it as he unrolled his silverware and put his napkin on his lap. “Probably” he admitted. “Is that entirely a bad thing though?” 

“No. But at this beginning point of our relationship, can you trust without a list? I really think that you will be able to pick up on what I like versus what I might just tell you about,” Landry explained.

Nodding, Alex let the point drop. “So do I approach this as being as inclusive as possible or do I start pretty narrow and then we can work on expanding my horizons?”

“I’d prefer as inclusive as possible, but be completely honest about your nos, the hard limits. I don’t want you to mark them as a maybe when you are pretty sure you wouldn’t enjoy it. The maybes we can talk about and play around with. Understand?” 

“Understand.” Alex looked down at the massive plates of food and tried to figure out how to split them up. “I could eat for a week off this.” 

“I told you,” Landry grinned. “But the leftovers are as good as the meal if you want to take some home with you.”

“A college student never turns down food,” Alex smiled, tasting the shrimp. “Especially food that tastes like this.” 

His own food forgotten for a moment, Landry liked watching Alex enjoying his food. The boy was attractive and sensual without trying to be. 

Alex ate away at the melt-in-your-mouth shrimp until there was enough of a clear space on his plate to swap some of each dish around. “Eat,” he said with a wave of his hands at Landry. “It’s getting cold.” 

“Yes, sir,” Landry replied playfully before he tucked in to his own plate. The garlicky shrimp, tender pasta and chicken parmesan were perfect as usual. “I like this sharing idea,” he said with a nod of approval.

“Best of both worlds,” Alex agreed. “Now you just have to help me figure out how to work off all these calories.” 

“What do you usually do to stay so slender?” Landry asked. 

“I don’t usually eat like this!” Alex laughed. “Starving student, remember?”

“I’m sure we can figure out a way to burn a few calories,” Landry smiled.

“If we’d had take away at your place then I wouldn’t have been embarrassed out of my mind talking about this in public, and we could have moved right on to the burning calories part when we were done eating,” Alex teased. “This way we have a commute in between.” 

Landry leaned in, holding Alex’s gaze. “As eager as I am to have you in my bed, you are not going home with me tonight. You have some homework to do before we begin.” He gestured toward the pocket where Alex put the list.

“So that’s why we aren’t there.” Alex tried but failed to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

“It would be incredibly easy to take you home and fall into bed with you. But sex isn’t the only thing you want, is it?” Landry asked softly. 

“No,” Alex said, frustrated. “But that’s a big part of what we are doing, right? So why wait?”

“Because I want to know more about you. Psychological as well as physical, remember?” Landry replied. 

“I know,” Alex sighed, stabbing a shrimp with his fork. “This is going to be all about teaching me patience, isn’t it.” 

“Yes.” Landry reached over and took the fork out of Alex’s hand so he could hold it as he continued. “Not just on your part. We met here tonight instead of my place because I couldn’t trust myself to be alone with you.” 

Alex’s breath caught at Landry’s touch. “Couldn’t trust yourself?” he asked, not sure what Landry meant. 

“Yes. The only thing that stopped me last night is the house full of people,” Landry said softly. “If we were alone tonight, you wouldn’t have left without me making you mine.”

Alex trembled, and he was sure Landry could feel it through his hand. “That’s what we both want, but still you want to wait?” 

“Not for much longer. It will be worth the wait. You have to trust me,” Landry reminded. 

“I do,” Alex said, squeezing Landry’s hand. “It’s just hard to wait,” he added softly. 

“Then work on that list, okay? I’ll be expecting your call,” he said as he squeezed Alex’s hand in return. 

Alex nodded. “And no shoddy work just to get it done quickly,” he said, already knowing what Landry would say if he called later that night and said he was done. 

“Right. I really want you to think about the items on the list,” Landry reminded.

“Is this like eating your vegetables before you get dessert?” Alex asked. 

Landry laughed softly and nodded his head. “Exactly.” 

“Meanie,” Alex teased, releasing Landry’s hand. “In that case we need to get going on this dinner so I can get home to my homework.” 

“No dessert? They have a delicious tiramisu?” Landry smiled.

“After all that? There’s no way,” Alex laughed. “Maybe some other time we could come just for dessert and coffee.” 

“Okay, let me get the waiter to box the rest of this up for you. In case you need a snack while you’re concentrating on your list.” Landry flagged down the waiter for a box and the check. 

“You can tell I plan to pull an all nighter?” Alex grabbed one more piece of shrimp before the waiter took the plates. 

“So I’ll be hearing from you soon then.” Landry pulled out his credit card to pay for their dinner.

Alex nodded. “But I promise to give it the attention it deserves.” He knew Landry would expect no less. 

“Good. And if there’s something you don’t understand you can call me or just mark it and we’ll talk about it when we meet again.”

“In other words, don’t rely on Google?” Alex laughed. 

“Actually, stay away from the internet for this one,” Landry advised with a smile. 

“Yes, Sir,” Alex said softly. 

“Good boy,” Landry replied.


	4. Chapter 4

Alex debated between the empty coffee pot and the can of Red Bull in the fridge. His apartment was chilly so he opted for the coffee, making a mental note to buy more filters as he pulled the next to the last one from the package. 

He leaned against the counter as he waited for the brew, wondering if it was crazy that he was pulling an all nighter not because of some impending deadline for school, but because of Landry and the packet of papers he’d “assigned.” 

He knew though it was useless to go to bed. He’d been wired for hours already, the buzz not wearing off even after he’d parted from Landry at the restaurant. The papers had been calling his name ever since and he knew he should just go through them rather than go through the motions of trying to put it off.

Settling in at the table that tripled as his kitchen/dining room table, desk, and general storage space, Alex started in on the checklist, making quick work of the first few items. He frowned though as things started to get more specific. He chewed on the end of his pen as he flipped forward through some of the pages. So many choices! This really was like homework. 

As he continued to wade through the list he realized that he was in over his head on a lot of things. He glanced at the clock - three in the morning was probably not a good time to text Landry with questions. He started to mark the items he needed to come back to with a pencil, continuing on with a pen for the rest.

He was surprised by how fast the time passed while he was immersed in the strange new language. While his thoughts drifted at times and he had to take some breaks along the way, by six he was impatient to get some answers and grabbed his phone.

_Hope you have your phone on silent so I don’t wake you up, but I have burning questions. Is boot worship a real thing? People like that? Or did you just put it in there to punk me?_

Landry heard his phone ping with a text. He rolled over in bed and reached for the phone to see the text from Alex. 6:14 AM. The boy had lasted longer than expected. He smiled as he responded to the text. 

_Definitely a real thing, but I wouldn't suggest it unless you have a serious love for the taste of dirt and shoe polish._

Alex had hopped in the shower while he waited for Landry to respond, and he forced himself to finish up before he checked his phone. Once he was dry and dressed in clean clothes, he allowed himself to read the text, mentally praising himself for the restraint. He smiled when he saw Landry’s response. 

_I’ll keep that in mind_ he texted back and then went back to the list. He’d resisted the urge to google things, keeping Landry’s admonishment in mind. He didn’t last too much longer before he just had to reach out again. 

_Does dilation mean what I think it means?_

Landry had rolled back over to sleep some more when he heard the phone ping again. He read the text and chuckled. 

_I don't know. What do you think it means?_

Alex jumped for the phone when he heard it ding. His face flushed scarlet red when he read the words. 

_Like… stretching? Certain… openings?_ he finally decided on, after writing and deleting at least 10 other texts. 

Landry could not help himself, he laughed out loud as he typed.

_Yes, that is correct._

Alex read the text and thought it through. _Oh._ is all he responded before deciding that Landry probably deserved a break from his questions. 

He managed to distract himself for almost two hours with other homework before he found himself with his phone in his hand once again. 

_Asphyxiation? Isn’t that dangerous?_ It was a simple question but indicative of bigger questions he had about things after letting the list marinate in his mind for hours. 

Landry was drinking a cup of coffee as he leaned over the railing of his balcony overlooking his courtyard. The soft sound of the water splashing in the fountain was pleasant despite the cooler temperature.

He looked at his phone. 8:21 AM.

_It is dangerous. It's a specific fetish that should only be indulged with extreme caution._

Alex stared at the message, wondering how to respond. 

_A lot of them seem like they are like that._

_They are. That's why the list is valuable in a new relationship. It's important for me to know your hard limits and the things you are willing to experiment with._

Alex started another text and then deleted it. He didn’t want to do it this way, disjoined and in written form. He wanted Landry there with him. 

_Can I come over?_

_Sure. Do you like coffee?_

_I do, but I’ve had so much at this point I’m practically vibrating,_ Alex wrote back, adding an emoji of a coffee cup and a smiling face. 

_Be careful then, see you soon._

Landry laughed and shook his hand. He just hoped he'd be able to keep up with Alex. 

Alex had plenty of time to think on his way to Landry’s place. The streetcar was pretty deserted that early on a Saturday morning so he could let his mind wander in peace. When he finally got to the bar, he suddenly realized he didn’t know what door to use to get upstairs. 

 

_I’m here. I don’t know how to get in. ___

___On my way, meet me at the bar entrance._ _ _

__Landry went downstairs to unlock the door. He pushed the door open and smiled when he saw Alex standing there._ _

__"Hey," he smiled._ _

__“Hey,” Alex smiled back. “Long time no see.”_ _

__Landry lifted his hand to caress Alex's face, rubbing his thumb along his cheek. "It's good to see you. Were you able to get any sleep last night?" he asked, his smile turning tender._ _

__“No,” Alex admitted. “I drank a lot of coffee and stayed up all night with that list.”_ _

__Landry shook his head. Still smiling, he stepped aside so Alex could enter. "Are you always this tenacious?" he asked as he closed and locked the door behind them._ _

__“Yes?” Alex said, with a laugh. “You could have said no, or told me you were busy if you didn’t want me coming over.”_ _

__"I didn't say I didn't want you to come over," Landry smirked. "The door that leads upstairs to my place is over here," he said as he walked past the bar to the back of the building. Landry led Alex upstairs and into his apartment, closing and locking that door, too._ _

__The upstairs apartment was a large, open space, much like a loft, but instead of an industrial feel, it was still very like New Orleans. The side facing the courtyard was floor to ceiling French doors with plantation shutters which flooded the room with light. The room was sparsely furnished with a large couch, a chair and a couple of small tables._ _

__"Let me take your coat," Landry told him._ _

__Alex handed over his jacket while he surveyed the room. “This is amazing,” he said, waving his hand toward the windows. “You’d never know we were above a bar in the Quarter.”_ _

__"Thanks. I pretty much gutted the entire space and started over. Some of it is still a work in progress. Like the kitchen." Landry pointed to the far side of the open space. "I don't really cook so I haven't been in a hurry to finish it yet. But there's enough there to get me by."_ _

__“Living where you do it’s not like there is a shortage of food options.” Alex wandered over toward the windows. “And you said the courtyard is private?”_ _

__"It is," Landry replied as he moved to stand behind Alex. He slipped his arm around Alex's waist and looked down at the courtyard with him. Landry was a good 6" taller than Alex so he was almost able to rest his chin on top of the younger man's head. "A private oasis in the city. It's my favorite thing about this place."_ _

__Alex laid his hands on Landry’s arms where they encircled him and leaned back against his chest. “Thanks for letting me come over. I was feeling a little overwhelmed.”_ _

__"I was afraid of that," Landry admitted. I wanted you to have your own time and space to think about those things, but I didn't intend to bombard you either. I'm glad you came over. It will be easier to talk it over this way."_ _

__“I don’t know if easier is the right word for it,” Alex said, craning his neck so he could smile up at Landry._ _

__"At least I get to see you blush in person this way," Landry said as he caressed Alex's cheek again._ _

__“That wasn’t coming through the phone loud and clear?” Alex asked, a little embarrassed at being so transparent._ _

__"Oh it was," Landry replied with a soft chuckle. "I know you said you didn't want any coffee, but would you like something else to drink while we talk about the list?"_ _

__“Water is fine,” Alex said, squeezing Landry’s arm. “I should probably hydrate after all that caffeine.”_ _

__Landry released Alex and moved toward the kitchen area. "I'm hoping that you found at least a few of the things on the list intriguing," he said as he poured a glass of cold water for Alex._ _

__“Intriguing would be one word for it,” Alex said as he trailed along behind Landry. “Confused, aroused, frightened… lots of words."_ _

__"Frightened?" Landry asked as he handed the glass to Alex. "Tell me about those."_ _

__“Some of them just seem like there is a huge potential for things to go wrong.” Alex took the glass and then dug the papers out of his pocket._ _

__“Let’s go get comfortable on the couch and we can talk about them,” Landry suggested. He walked past Alex as he searched for his list and took a seat at the end of the couch. He watched Alex, curious whether he’d sit next to him or at the other end._ _

__Alex hesitated, but took a seat in the middle of the couch. Not so close as to touch Landry, but close enough to see the papers in his hand. He grabbed a coaster and set his water down on the coffee table in front of them._ _

__Landry was pleased with Alex’s choice to sit near him instead of on the opposite end of the couch. He glanced over at the least, glad to see some of the items marked with a Yes or a Maybe._ _

__Watching Landry’s face, Alex tried to get a read on what he was thinking as he scanned the list. He felt self conscious about his answers, even though he knew he shouldn’t. “I tried to be as open minded as possible,” he said finally, unable to take the silence any longer._ _

__Landry looked at Alex and smiled. “Relax,” he said softly. “It’s not a test. There are no right or wrong answers, okay? Do me a favor, take a deep breath.” Landry rubbed his hand across Alex’s upper back and shoulders. “You’re as tight as bow.”_ _

__Alex tried to do as he was told, but Landry’s touch only ramped up the tension. “Sorry,” he apologized, even though there wasn’t really anything to apologize for._ _

__“You mentioned being frightened. Are you frightened of me?” Landry asked as he continued to gently massage Alex’s shoulders._ _

__“Frightened? No,” Alex said. “You can be a little intimidating though,” he admitted, turning slightly so more of his back was toward Landry._ _

__“Well that might come in handy later,” Landry teased, “but there’s no reason to be afraid. I am not going to harm you. Now look on your list and ask me whatever it is you want to know.”_ _

__Alex turned back towards Landry and scooted closer so he could see. He reached over and ran his finger down the list, checking the items he’d noted in pencil. “Dental work? Manicures? I’m not understanding what some of this stuff has to do with sex.”_ _

__“Dental work is a fetish. Not for everyone, but those who are into it are really into it. Manicures are more for the master/servant type of relationship,” Landry explained. “I’m not looking for that type of relationship, but if there was something in particular you want to do to me or for me, we can always discuss it.”_ _

__Alex thought that over. “Tell me more about that. There are different types of relationships? I feel like a lot of what I’ve seen is the master/servant stuff.”_ _

__“There are submissives who like to serve in a literal sense. Some cook, some clean. They take care of their master in many ways, including sexually. How subservient they are can range depending on the sub. Some subs crawl and kneel.”_ _

__Alex nodded. “Yes, that’s what I think of when I hear the word “sub.” But that’s not necessarily everything, right? Not that it’s bad or anything…” he trailed off, hoping that he hadn’t offended Landry._ _

__“A sub is someone who is submissive to their dom, but being submissive doesn’t mean being a servant or a slave,” Landry replied. “Those are just certain aspects of BDSM. It’s an eclectic lifestyle and there are no hard and fast rules, it’s completely individualistic.”_ _

__“Are there people who are only submissive… or dominant… during sex? Or are most people that way in all parts of their lives?” Alex was frustrated at his lack of words for what he was thinking._ _

__“For sex, people usually have the one role because that’s what they enjoy. I have known some people who enjoy both roles, but I don’t think they are as common as people who align themselves with one role sexually. As far as being one or the other in all parts of their lives, that role may not match their sexual role at all. I know a CEO of a major company who is completely dominant in his work life, but he’s totally submissive sexually.”_ _

__“Makes sense,” Alex said, inching closer to look at the list again. “So some of this stuff is for sex and other stuff is more lifestyle type things?”_ _

__Landry pointed to the list. “Mostly sex,” he smiled._ _

__“Several of those things are about forcing people to do things they don’t like. Is that because Dom’s get off on making their subs do it?” Again Alex was sure the words weren’t right but he hoped Landry would humor him._ _

__“Not always. There are doms who do that, that’s true. But the sub may not necessarily dislike it. It might not be something you like, like the boot worshipping, but I guarantee there is someone who loves it and loves to do it for their dom,” Landry smiled. “There are also subs who may not like something, but they are eager to please their dom so they will endure it for that reason.”_ _

___Endure._ Alex turned that word over for a few moments in his brain. “Is that something that makes a good sub? That they can endure something that their Dom wants?” he asked softly. _ _

__Landry could almost see the wheels turning in Alex’s head. “Enduring for one’s dom can mean many things, Alex. Let me give you an example.” He looked at Alex, holding his gaze. “Let’s say I have you over my knee and I’m spanking you. You’ve taken ten slaps and your ass is burning, but I want you to take ten more. Would you try to endure and take those other ten?”_ _

__The mental image took Alex’s breath away. “Yes,” he said, his voice just a whisper._ _

__“That would make me happy,” Landry smiled as he touched Alex’s chin. “Would you feel like a good sub if you made me happy?”_ _

__Alex nodded, his eyes fixed on Landry’s face._ _

__“Would being a good sub and knowing you pleased me make you happy as well?” Landry asked._ _

__“I…” Alex faltered slightly. He definitely didn’t want to disappoint Landry, but he also didn’t want to lie. “I don’t know. I… think so? But I don’t know really. The tiny bit I’ve experienced up to this point has just been sex stuff. This other stuff is all just theoretical to me right now.”_ _

__Landry nodded his head and leaned back. “Fair enough. I just don’t want you to think it’s all about me making you endure things you don’t like.”_ _

__“The way you explained it makes sense,” Alex assured him. “I trust you.”_ _

__“Good. Did you have any more questions about the list?” asked Landry._ _

__“Not about the list,” Alex said, turning his attention away from the papers and onto Landry. “What is it that appeals to you the most? What kind of sub do you like?”_ _

__“The shared experience,” Landry answered. “I have a more casual method than some. I don’t go for the formal title. I don’t need to be called Sir. I can tell when my partner is giving their submission, I don’t need the lip service.”_ _

__Alex thought back to the night before, he’d used the word Sir without even thinking about it. “I called you Sir last night,” he said. “And you said “good boy” back to me.”_ _

__“And that was fine. It was genuine, not a rote response,” Landry replied._ _

__“You mean because I didn’t say it just because I thought I was supposed to?” Alex asked, trying to confirm. “That makes sense.”_ _

__“I’m not saying that you can’t ever call me Sir; I’m saying it’s not a requirement. I don’t expect it.”_ _

__“And what about the kneeling stuff? And the looking down? I’ve seen a lot of that in the things I’ve watched online.” Alex knew porn wasn’t real life, but those things seemed pretty standard, and they were on the list._ _

__“I may ask you to do that, to kneel or keep your eyes down. Or you can do those things if you have the urge to do them.” Landry thought of something else he wanted to discuss with Alex. “I would only ask you to do those things in private unless it was prearranged for some reason. I don’t go to clubs that often, but I would like to take you to one sometime. For the experience of it. And to show you a standard playroom.”_ _

__Something he’d seen on the list immediately popped into Alex’s mind, making his back stiffen. “Okay,” he said, trying not to let his distress show._ _

__Landry noticed Alex’s physical reaction which did not match his verbal response. “Alex?”_ _

__He knew better than to try to cover things up, Landry was far too in tune with his body language. “There was a lot of stuff on that list about sharing the sub with other people, or forced nudity in front of strangers, or even giving the subs away. Is that what you mean? Because I put no for all that,” he said, his voice strained._ _

__“No. That is not what I mean,” Landry replied, keeping his tone even. He rested his hand at the nape of Alex’s neck. “Don’t you remember what I told you when I said I would be your dom?” Landry leaned in. “I don’t share. And I will never make you do something that you do not want to do.”_ _

__“Okay,” Alex said quietly, leaning back into Landry’s touch. “Is that common though? People doing that to their subs?”_ _

__“It does happen and it’s usually consensual. People enjoy different things. I am possessive by nature and I know that I don’t like to see my sub with other doms, but not all doms are like me.” Landry began to gently massage Alex’s neck as they talked. “That’s something else we need to talk about. Our relationship. We barely know each other, but we are committing to a serious relationship, you understand that?”_ _

__“Are we rushing this?” Alex asked, even though he regretted it immediately. What if Landry said yes?_ _

__“If you feel like we are rushing, we can go slower. Or we can stop. It really is up to you,” Landry replied._ _

__“I don’t want to stop,” Alex said immediately. “I just…” he paused, as always feeling at a loss for words when it came to Landry. “What if I’m not what you expected? I don’t want you to feel that you are stuck with me.”_ _

__Landry sighed with a smile. “Is it possible for you to stop thinking so much? If we find we aren’t compatible, we will deal with that if it happens. Is being in a committed relationship what’s scaring you?”_ _

__“I can’t stop thinking. It’s what I do,” Alex said, managing a smile. “I’m a professional at it.” He paused but then realized he hadn’t answered the whole question. “But no, the relationship part doesn’t scare me. I just feel like I trapped you into this before you really had a chance to find out if I was what you wanted.”_ _

__“You are what I want or I wouldn’t have agreed to this,” Landry replied. “We are attracted to one another, I don’t think I am misreading that. I think I can be good for you and you for me. But I need you to stop overthinking and relax, understand?”_ _

__“You say that like I can just magically turn my brain off,” Alex said. “I can only think of one time that my brain has been totally out of commission.”_ _

__“When was that?” Landry asked._ _

__Alex smiled as he let the memory flood through him. “When you dragged me into that bedroom, pushed me up against the dresser, and kissed me. I felt like I was drowning.” He tilted his head just enough to look over at Landry. “I mean that in a good way.”_ _

__“So that’s the secret?” Landry smiled as he leaned in, pushing Alex back against the couch. “I just need to kiss you?” he whispered, brushing his lips against Alex’s._ _

__“It helps,” Alex murmured, pushing up into the kiss._ _

__Landry slipped an arm around Alex and pulled him closer as they kissed. "This is helping me," he murmured as he moved to kiss Alex's neck._ _

__“Mutually beneficial,” Alex agreed. He felt more steady again now that Landry was kissing him, like he had an anchor in the sea of uncertainty he’d felt since the night before._ _

__"Would you like to see the rest of the apartment?" Landry asked with a smile._ _

__“I’d like to see the bedroom,” Alex said, his face flushed and eyes dilated. “Is that on the tour?"_ _

__"That is the rest of the tour," Landry replied as he took Alex's hand to help him up from the couch. He led him across the long room past the kitchen area and down a short hallway. Landry opened a door into another large room, an enormous four poster bed placed at an angle right in the center of it._ _

__“Nice,” Alex said, squeezing Landry’s hand and then letting go so he could remove his socks and shoes._ _

__Landry cupped Alex's chin to make the boy look at him. "Are you ready? I know you haven't had any sleep."_ _

__Alex stopped what he was doing so he could give Landry his full attention. “I’m ready,” he said, his voice steady. “Not promising I won’t crash afterwards for a nice long nap, but I promise I’m good right now.”_ _

__"All right," Landry nodded. "Undress for me,' he said quietly before he took a step back to watch._ _

__A wave of nerves passed through Alex’s body, but he reminded himself that this is what he wanted, and that Landry wouldn’t let him fail. He slid out of his jeans first, folding them and setting them aside on top of his socks and shoes. His t-shirt went next, slowly pulled off over his head. He could feel his hair get rumpled and unruly but he didn’t bother to fix it, knowing what was to come._ _

__Alex had a beautiful body. His pale skin was smooth and unblemished. Landry knew how soft it was to the touch and he was anxious to experience that again._ _

__"Everything," he told Alex who was still wearing his briefs._ _

__Nodding, Alex slid the elastic down over his hips and kicked the fabric away. He found himself looking at the floor rather than Landry but he wasn’t sure why._ _

__Landry tilted Alex's chin up again. "You're beautiful," he told him._ _

__Alex could see in Landry’s eyes that he was being honest. “Thank you,” he said softly, holding Landry’s gaze. He felt exposed in a way that was much more than just about his nudity._ _

__"Listen carefully," Landry told him. "If I do anything that you don't like or you need me to stop at any time, say the word 'red', understand?"_ _

__Alex nodded again. He appreciated knowing he had a way out, even if he was pretty sure he’d never have to use it with Landry._ _

__"If you're not sure about something or need me to slow down, use the word 'yellow'," Landry continued. "Don't hesitate to use these words. This is not a test, remember? No pass or fail and no judgement. If you need to stop or slow down, let me know."_ _

__“I can use “yellow” to just slow down and pause?” Alex confirmed. “If I don’t want to stop, I just need to check in?” He wanted to be sure he understood, the situation seemed fraught with the opportunity for misunderstandings._ _

__"Red and we stop. Yellow we pause and you tell me how you're feeling," Landry clarified._ _

__“Okay,” Alex said with another small nod. There was tension in the space between them, like the pause before the start of a race, and he longed for that gap to close and Landry’s hands to be on him again._ _

__"Good," Landry smiled. "Now onto the bed and lie down on your back for me."_ _

__It took Alex a moment to move, his feet feeling rooted to the floor. Once he escaped the gravity of Landry’s proximity he crawled into the center of the bed and then laid out on his back._ _

__Landry undressed, watching Alex carefully. The boy was nervous, no doubt. He hoped he was a little excited as well. Landry laid beside him on his side, leaning his head on his arm as he continued to look at Alex. He reached over to touch him, slowly caressing him from his shoulder along his side and down to his thigh._ _

__Alex couldn’t take his eyes off Landry. He studied his tattoos, the lines of his muscles and how they moved under his skin, and the way his eyes looked as he touched him._ _

__"You told me someone restrained you while you were having sex and you liked it," Landry rested his large hand on Alex's belly as he talked. "I want to do that with you, restrain you by binding your wrists."_ _

__Alex could feel a swell of arousal snaking through his body, just from Landry’s words. He nodded that he understood, realizing why Landry had selected a four poster frame for his bed._ _

__Landry reached beneath a pillow and withdrew a length of silk fabric. "Put your hands together with the inside of your wrists touching," he instructed. He carefully wound the silk around Alex's wrists taking care not to tie them too tight._ _

__Alex watched closely as Landry bound his hands. The skill in his movements was evident, and he could tell that Landry knew exactly what he was doing. He couldn’t resist tugging at the silk, just to feel the resistance._ _

__Landry smiled as he moved to straddle Alex, moving him easily across the bed and positioning his head closer to the bedpost. "Hands over your head," he said._ _

__Finding that he was holding his breath, Alex consciously exhaled as he moved into position. He liked the way Landry manhandled him into position, like it took no effort at all._ _

__When Alex raised his hands, Landry tied the other end of the silk around the bedpost. He checked Alex's wrists to be sure they were still not bound too tightly. "Wriggle your fingers for me," Landry said, then laid a kiss on Alex's hand when he did. "Tell me what you're feeling," he said._ _

__“Excitement,” Alex said, still testing the limits of his movement. “Anticipation.” He looked over at Landry. “Trust.”_ _

__"Excellent," Landry smiled before he bent his head to kiss Alex. This kiss was not like their earlier kisses, it was forceful and unrelenting. Landry kissed his new boy until he was breathless and moaning._ _

__Alex immediately tried without thinking to wrap his arms around Landry only to be stopped short by the restraints. He moaned softly into the kiss, the feeling amping up the intensity of the kiss._ _

__Landry pulled back, openly admiring Alex's flushed skin and his swollen lips. He wrapped his hand around Alex's cock and began to stroke him, his eyes never leaving his boy's face._ _

__Arching his back, Alex drove his hips into the mattress. Landry’s hand was big and strong but his touch carried just the right weight._ _

__"You're gorgeous like this. I knew you would be," Landry said softly as he continued to work Alex's cock. He used his other hand to rub and tease Alex's nipple, drinking in every response he was given._ _

__Alex could feel that his nipples were hard as pebbles, and Landry’s teasing touch made them ache. His entire body felt tuned in to Landry’s every move, a focus he hadn’t felt before with a lover._ _

__Landry bent his head again, this time using the tip of his tongue to tease Alex’s nipple. His hand kept a steady pace, Alex’s cock sliding in his grip._ _

__Yanking against the ties at his wrists, Alex squirmed desperately under the dual assault. His inability to move seemed to heighten every sensation. Somewhere deep in his brain he knew that was the point, but he wasn’t capable of rational reflection on that point right at the moment._ _

__Turning his head, Landry smiled as he ran his hand up Alex’s arm. “Careful,” he said softly as he made sure the silk binding had not tightened too much around Alex’s wrists. He looked into Alex’s eyes as he continued to stroke him._ _

__“It’s hard to be careful,” Alex said, even as he managed to relax enough to put some slack in the ties. He wanted to do everything Landry asked, no matter how hard it was for him._ _

__“Close your eyes,” Landry said. “Concentrate on the feel of my hand,” he added softly._ _

__Alex took a long look at Landry before he obeyed, wanting to sear in his image. Taking away the visual caused the rest of his senses to be heightened, the intensity of the sounds and feelings were amped up even more._ _

__Landry used his tongue again, this time to lick a stripe up the length of Alex’s cock. He resumed the steady strokes, watching Alex for every response._ _

__The change in sensation made Alex gasp, his brain lagging in processing what he was feeling. He smiled when he realized what Landry had done and lifted his hips shamelessly, begging for more._ _

__“You liked that,” Landry said with a soft chuckle. Landry released Alex’s cock, using his palm to massage the boy’s balls, his fingers rubbing against his hole._ _

__“Yes,” Alex said. He was pleased that Landry hadn’t bound his legs, as he was free to spread his thighs and push into his touch._ _

__Landry lowered his head, whispering in Alex’s ear. “You want more than my hand?”_ _

__“Yes,” Alex said again, unable to keep the hitch out of his breath. “Please,” he added after a moment, a full body shiver rocking his frame as he thought about having Landry inside him._ _

__“Open your eyes,” Landry ordered as he straddled Alex’s legs._ _

__Alex did as he was told, blinking for a moment against the light before Landry came into focus. His heart raced with arousal at the sight of the other man above him, holding him in place._ _

__Landry leaned down to kiss Alex, pressing his body into him. He pulled back with a smile. “Tell me what you want,” he said. Landry knew Alex had a hard time vocalizing his desires, but he was going to help his new boy get past that._ _

__Alex stared up into Landry’s eyes, they seemed darker than usual, almost completely green instead of their usual hazel. “I want you to fuck me,” he said softly, his tone bordering on begging._ _

__Nodding his head, Landry grinned as he reached for silk around Alex’s wrists. He loosened the fabric for more slack without releasing the boy’s wrists. Without warning, he took Alex by the hips and rolled him onto his stomach. “On your knees,” Landry said as he pulled him up. He leaned over and kissed Alex’s cheek. “It’ll be easier to take this way for the first time,” he explained._ _

__Alex had to take a deep breath to get his control back after Landry handled him that way. He worked his knees up under his body, not as easy as it sounded due to his hands being tied. He spread them as wide as he could while still staying balanced, his cheeks flaming as he realized the sight he probably made like that._ _

__Landry smacked Alex’s gorgeous ass, once on each cheek, then rubbed the pink skin. “Beautiful,” he murmured as he retrieved a condom and lube from under the pillows. He slicked his fingers, rubbing them against Alex’s opening before sliding a finger inside._ _

__Alex moaned into the pillows, his body trembling as he struggled to stay still. Landry’s touch was just enough to tease, a tantalizing preview of what was to come._ _

__Taking his time, Landry used his fingers to work Alex open and get him ready for his cock. His new boy was responsive and eager, pushing back against Landry’s intimate touch. He rolled on a condom then rubbed the head of his cock against Alex’s hole, teasing him before finally easing inside him._ _

__“Oh,” Alex couldn’t help but gasp as Landry started to push inside. His body stretched to accommodate him, but he could feel every inch._ _

__Landry took it slow, rocking into the tight heat until he was completely inside. He ran his hand down Alex’s spine, gently caressing his skin. “You okay?” Landry asked._ _

__Alex took a moment to exhale. “Yes.” Landry filled him in a way no one else ever had, and he loved it, even as he realized how sore he’d be later. He rocked back slightly, just enough to let Landry know he was ready._ _

__Landry gave Alex’s ass another slap before he started to move inside him. He held him by the hips and thrust, his boy’s entire body responding to each push._ _

__The force of Landry’s thrusts took Alex’s breath away, and his bound hands desperately scrabbled for purchase only to find nothing but air. He was completely at Landry’s mercy, and the thought of that nearly overwhelmed him._ _

__Sliding a hand up Alex’s back, Landry gripped his shoulder, holding him steady as he thrust harder. Alex was perfect, taking his cock like that._ _

__With Landry’s hand on his shoulder to ground him. Alex felt safe giving himself over completely. His body yielded completely to Landry’s desires and Alex moaned with pleasure each time the other man bottomed out._ _

__The sounds Alex made each time Landry slid deeper inside him were addictive and he knew he’d never get enough of them. He reached around Alex, his fingers circling the boy’s cock so he could stroke him as he fucked him._ _

__Alex let out a shuddering breath. “I’m so close,” he warned, something telling him that he needed to let Landry know. His senses were completely overwhelmed, every nerve ending in his body on fire with pleasure._ _

__“Don’t come,” Landry warned as he slowed his hand and squeezed the base of Alex’s cock. “Not until I say.” He released Alex’s cock and resumed his powerful thrusts._ _

__Alex almost said yellow, but the snap of Landry’s hips drove it out of his mind. He tried his best to hold on, the thread of concentration he needed constantly trying to slip away from him._ _

__Landry pulled out. Grabbing Alex by his hips he rolled him onto his back again. He tore off the condom, fisting his cock between Alex’s legs. Landry let out a low moan of pleasure as his cum spurted onto Alex’s chest and belly._ _

__Practically screaming with the effort, Alex managed to hang on to his control. Watching Landry come on him was the hottest thing he’d ever experienced, and the image would be forever seared into his brain to be used as a fantasy._ _

__Wrapping his hand around Alex’s cock, Landry began to stroke him. His boy’s hard length throbbed against his palm. “You want to come?” he asked._ _

__The first thing out of his mouth was a strangled moan, but Alex managed to form the word yes. His heels pressed against the bed as he twisted against the ties and Landry’s hand._ _

__“Say ‘Please, Landry’,” he said, his hand flying on Alex’s cock._ _

__Alex turned his eyes up and focused on Landry’s face. “Please, Landry,” he begged, his voice strained with need._ _

__“Do it. Come for me,” Landry rasped._ _

__Alex cried out and bowed up off the bed as he let go and let the crushing wave of his orgasm burst through the dam of control he’d built._ _

__Landry’s hand slowed but he kept stroking until he knew Alex had enough. He reached for the silk and released Alex’s wrists. Landry examined them closely. His boy might have bruises tomorrow, but nothing serious. Landry pushed Alex’s sweat-damp hair away from his forehead and kissed him there. “You were great,” he said with a smile, obviously proud of his new lover._ _

__Alex felt like he was floating. He smiled up at Landry before responding. “Did I do it right?”_ _

__“Perfect,” Landry replied before kissing Alex._ _

__Wrapping his arms around Landry, Alex pulled him close as they kissed. Being able to touch him was more special now that it had been denied._ _

__Landry held Alex, kissing him and caressing him as he came down. He wanted to talk to him about his first experience, but that could wait until later. Right now, all Landry was concerned with was caring for his boy._ _

__Alex settled into Landry’s arms. He felt safe there and cared for and it helped prolong the pleasant floaty feeling. “I know I should get up and clean up but I’m really kind of content right here,” he murmured._ _

__“You’re fine. I’ll get a washcloth in a minute,” Landry told him. “You have to be exhausted after not sleeping last night.”_ _

__“It was worth it,” Alex said softly, the intimacy of the moment loosening his tongue. “If I hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here right now.”_ _

__“I want you to stay here and sleep. I can’t send you home like this,” Landry said, kissing Alex again before he eased out of bed. “Be right back.”_ _

__“Don’t go,” Alex said, but Landry was already gone. The bed felt cold and empty without him. It wasn’t something he was used to feeling after sex and that was something he’d have to ask about later._ _

__Landry returned with a warm, wet washcloth and a dry towel. He crawled into bed, pulling Alex closer for another kiss before he started to wipe him clean._ _

__Alex let Landry take care of him, watching how tender he was. It was such a contrast to the force that he’d displayed earlier. “I’m sorry if I disrupted your plans for the day,” he said, realizing there was a chance Landry had somewhere he was supposed to be._ _

__“You didn’t. I was hoping you would call,” Landry smiled. “Let’s get you under the covers before you get cold,” he said as he pulled back the duvet._ _

__Crawling under the covers, Alex paused but then pressed ahead and asked. “Will you stay with me for a bit? Just until I fall asleep?”_ _

__“I’m not going anywhere,” Landry replied as he joined Alex beneath the duvet, pulling the boy against him._ _

__“Good,” Alex murmured, settling in against Landry’s chest. “Can I ask questions?”_ _

__“As many as you want.” Landry smiled, stroking his fingers through Alex’s soft hair._ _

__Now that he had permission, Alex found it hard to say the words. “The permission thing… there at the end? Is that something that is… standard?” he asked, stumbling through it._ _

__“Fairly standard but like most things, it’s a matter of personal preference. Did you like it?” asked Landry._ _

__“I was afraid I was going to fail,” Alex admitted. “I was glad you didn’t draw it out a long time.”_ _

__“But how did it make you feel when you didn’t fail?” Landry slowly massaged Alex’s shoulder although the boy was quite relaxed._ _

__Alex thought it through. “In the moment I don’t know that I could tell you, I was too overwhelmed. But now, looking back on it it makes me feel good that I could do it for you. Do it because you asked for it.”_ _

__“Pushing limits is a big part of this,” Landry said softly. “And it’s not all pass or fail.”_ _

__“Do you grade on a curve?” Alex asked, yawning out the last bit._ _

__“Absolutely,” Landry laughed. “Now go to sleep. You can ask me all the questions you want when you wake up.”_ _

__“Okay,” Alex agreed, letting his eyes fall shut. He knew his life had changed in a profound way, and he wanted to experience every last minute of this day, but sleep was too powerful a call._ _

__Landry continued to stroke Alex’s hair, watching him as he reluctantly fell asleep. Being with Alex was better than he’d imagined. He only hoped his new boy wouldn’t talk himself out of what Landry knew he could be._ _


	5. Chapter 5

Landry made himself another cup of coffee and settled on the couch. He picked up the book he’d been reading instead of turning on the television. He didn’t want the noise to wake the sleeping boy still in his bed. Landry smiled as he mentally revisited his earlier activities with Alex. HIs new sub was quite entrancing and he was looking forward to sharing more of those activities with him. 

Alex opened his eyes and then immediately squinted against the unexpected light. It took him a moment to realize where he was, and he couldn’t help but smile when he realized that somewhere was Landry’s bed. He stretched his arm out and found the rest of the bed empty so he rolled over to look around. 

The bedroom was empty and silent so he sat up and looked around for his pants. He winced slightly as he slid out of bed and pulled them on. He didn’t bother with socks or shoes, just went in search of Landry. 

Landry looked up from his book when Alex walked out of the bedroom. “Hey there,” he said with a smile as he laid his book on the floor. “I thought you’d be out for a couple more hours at least.”

“I can nap later,” Alex said, taking a seat on the other end of the couch. “I didn’t want to sleep away my time here.” 

“I was hoping you didn’t have to hurry off somewhere,” Landry said as he reached across the couch and pulled Alex closer. 

Alex smiled at Landry’s affectionate overture. “Same here. I wasn’t sure if you had to work tonight.” Alex wasn’t too sure about Landry’s work schedule, but given he’d been off the night before he felt safe in assuming there might be work involved that night.   
“Don’t worry about that, I have it covered,” Landry told him as he tipped Alex’s head back and kissed him. 

Alex went willingly into the kiss, sliding one hand up to rest at the back of Landry’s neck. 

“I want to talk about you,” Landry murmured as he caressed Alex’s bare back. 

“Talk about me?” Alex asked softly, finding it an odd choice of words. “Or talk to me?” He could feel goosebumps rising up on his arms, his body’s response to Landry’s light touch. 

“I want to talk to you about you,” Landry smiled. “How are you feeling?” 

Alex tilted his head back so he could see Landry’s face. “I’m good,” he said, adding “very good,” after a pause. He wondered if Landry was just worried about his reaction to what they’d done, or if there was something else underlying his question. 

Landry slid his hands down Alex’s back to his butt. “Sore?” he asked as he gave his handful a squeeze.

Alex’s face told the tale. “A little,” he admitted, knowing he couldn’t hide it. “You are rather… sizeable,” he said, grinning as he leaned in for another kiss. 

“So dilation doesn’t sound like such a bad thing after all,” Landry teased before he claimed Alex’s mouth for a slow, deep, wet kiss. 

The kiss muted Alex’s reaction as he remembered their earlier discussion. “Yeah maybe not,” he said softly when they parted. “I want to be able to take everything you want to give me.” 

Landry ran his finger over Alex’s bottom lip. “Good. Think you’re up to some more right now?” he asked softly.

Alex nodded. In that moment he knew he’d do anything Landry asked of him. 

“You have the sexiest mouth,” Landry murmured as he caressed Alex’s lip again. “We are going to have an epic make out session some time because I like kissing you. But right now, I really want to see what else you can do with that beautiful mouth.”

Alex’s stomach flipped with a pleasant wave of arousal just from Landry’s words. “Yes please, on both accounts,” he said, kissing Landry’s finger. 

“Take off your pants,” Landry ordered, his fingers moving to unzip his own jeans. 

Alex untangled himself from Landry’s arms long enough to slide out of his jeans. He stood there for a moment, awaiting his next instruction, hoping it would involve him on his knees between Landry’s legs. 

Landry slipped off his jeans then grabbed Alex by the wrist. “On your knees,” he told him as he pulled him between his spread thighs. 

Managing to go down gracefully, even with Landry’s hand on his wrist, Alex settled in on his knees. Landry’s cock loomed in front of him, and Alex’s body ached with the memory of what if had felt like splitting him open. He looked up with anticipation, just waiting for the order so he could start. 

“Suck me,” Landry ordered, his eyes dark with lust as he watched Alex. 

Alex licked his lips and leaned forward, taking just the tip of Landry’s cock into his mouth. He sucked gently as he looking into the other man’s eyes. 

“I said suck me, not tease me,” Landry warned with a smile.

Lowering his eyes, Alex took Landry’s admonishment to heart. He took a deep breath and then slowly worked as much of the other man’s length into his mouth as he could, bobbing his head as he worked inch by inch. 

“That’s it,” Landry said as he laid his hand on the back of Alex’s head. The boy’s mouth was even more beautiful stretched around his cock. 

Alex used his hand to stroke the part of Landry’s cock he couldn’t take, working his hand and mouth together to set a steady rhythm. Landry’s hand felt solid and comforting on his head and he didn’t mind the feeling of being controlled. 

Landry rolled his hips, thrusting deeper into Alex’s mouth. He watched him carefully for his reaction. 

After initially pulling back in response, Alex forced himself back down, and was prepared for the next thrust. He took what Landry had to give, opening his throat and relaxing as much as he could. 

Holding Alex’s head, Landry took over, slowly fucking his boy’s mouth with deep, steady thrusts.

Moaning softly, Alex focused on his breathing. There was something satisfying about being used like this for Landry’s pleasure. He put that idea away to think about later, and let himself enjoy the present, his own cock begging for attention. 

“Enough,” Landry rasped as he tugged Alex’s head back, his cock slipping out of his mouth. “Stand up,” he told him as he got up from the couch. 

Alex swayed to his feet, the abrupt change enough to throw him off. He wanted to ask if he’d done something wrong, but he stayed silent, hoping this was just part of what he was here to learn. 

Without a word, Landry picked up Alex and tossed him easily over his shoulder to carry him back to the bedroom. Unable to resist, he gave his boy a sharp smack on his ass as he walked with him across the room.

Gasping, a soft laugh bubbled from Alex’s lips unexpectedly. He hadn’t anticipated being manhandled like that, and he was impressed that Landry could do that so easily. He was sure laughing wasn’t the right response, but he had such little control over his emotions at the moment he didn’t care. 

“You like that?” Landry asked, his tone as playful as Alex’s giggle. “How ‘bout another?” he asked as he smacked Alex’s butt again.

Alex kicked his legs but held on tightly to be sure he didn’t fall. Things had righted somewhat now that he knew Landry wasn’t disappointed in him and he egged him on. “More please,” he said as they made it to the bedroom.

Landry gave him two more slaps, one on each butt cheek before he sat him down on the side of the bed. Holding Alex in place, he leaned in for a kiss, pushing the boy back onto the bed while keeping his legs hanging off the edge of the bed.

Distracted by the kiss, Alex let Landry arrange him on the bed. His lips were swollen and bruised but he didn’t care, he didn’t ever want to stop. 

Keeping Alex in place on the bed with his hand on his chest, Landry bent his head and swallowed his boy’s cock. 

Alex moaned, his chest lifting up off the bed as he curled toward the source of the pleasure. Landry’s mouth was hot and wet against his skin, the sensation almost too much for him to bear in his heightened state of arousal. 

Landry hooked Alex’s legs easily over his shoulder as he continued to suck him. His fingers found Alex’s nipple and began to rub and pull it as Landry worked his cock with his lips and tongue.

Alex felt a bit of panic as his pleasure swelled He wasn’t entirely sure he could hold on and Landry hadn’t given him explicit instructions not to come, but he felt like it was an implied order carried over from the previous scene. “I can’t…” he stammered, “should I…” he shook his head, rocking it against the bed. “Yellow,” he finally said, not knowing how else to keep from screwing up. 

Landry stopped immediately, releasing Alex’s cock with a soft pop. He lowered Alex’s legs from his shoulders and moved so that he could see his boy’s face. “Talk to me,” he said softly.

It took Alex a moment to catch his breath. “Sorry,” he said, knowing he’d broken the moment. “I just didn’t know what I was supposed to do.” 

“You were doing fine,” Landry told him as he gently rubbed his chest. “I thought you were into it.”

“I was,” Alex assured him, laying his hand on top of Landry’s. “I need to know though about the…” he swallowed and forced himself to say it. “Do I need permission to come? You said it explicitly last time and I didn’t know if that carried over.” 

“Would it bother you to ask permission?” Landry questioned. 

Alex needed only a moment to think. “No.” 

“Then I would like you to wait for permission to come,” Landry said. “When you’re close you can tell me, all right?” 

Alex nodded and then hesitated. “And what if I fail?”

“Then I can punish you,” Landry replied softly, smiling at his conscientious boy.

“Punish how?” Alex asked softly. He knew he was asking far too many questions, but he couldn’t manage to keep his mouth shut. 

“I could spank you some more. Or put a cock ring on you so you can’t come until I let you. There are endless methods.” Landry leaned in to kiss Alex again. “Most of them you would probably enjoy,” he added with a whisper.

His worries eased, Alex closed his eyes and enjoyed the kiss. “Thank you for indulging my questions,” he murmured against Landry’s lips. 

“You’re welcome,” Landry replied. 

Alex hoped he hadn’t killed the mood, and he held his breath as he waited to see if Landry would continue. 

“Any more questions before I go back to what I was doing? I need to answer them now, because I won’t be able to when your cock is in my mouth,” Landry teased. 

Alex smiled. “I’m done. For now at least,” he added, knowing he could make no guarantees. 

“You can always yank on my hair. I kinda like that anyway.” Landry smiled as he lowered his head and yanked Alex to him, sliding his mouth around his cock again. 

Alex started to say something but he lost his train of thought when Landry swallowed him down. Even with the pause in their activities he was still on edge and he curled his fingers against the bed as he held on. 

Landry palmed Alex’s balls as he sucked him, his finger gently rubbing against his hole. Alex had said he wasn’t too sore, but Landry wanted to take it easy just in case.

Alex wanted to lift his legs and spread himself wide for Landry, but his legs were pinned against the bed, completely at Landry’s mercy. He settled for moaning his appreciation and rocking his hips to press against his lover’s touch. 

Releasing Alex’s cock, Landry looked up at him and smiled, his lips glossy with spit and pre-cum. “How are you doing?” he asked as he continued to stroke Alex.

“I’m close,” Alex said, squirming under Landry’s attention. “But I can hold on for you.” 

“Tell you what, when you just can’t hold on anymore, pull my hair. Seriously. Let me know, okay?” Landry told him.

“Really?” Alex pushed up on his elbows so he could see Landry’s face. “If you’re sure.” 

“Do I need to make it an order?” Landry said, his tone lower than before as he met Alex’s stare.

Alex’s breath caught. “No, Sir,” he said softly. “I understand.” 

Landry took Alex’s hand and placed it on his head as he bent to take his boy’s cock back into his mouth. He spread Alex’s legs wide, rubbing his balls and fingering his hole as he sucked him. 

Alex let his fingers rest lightly on Landry’s head as he relaxed back against the bed. Landry seemed to know exactly how he wanted to be touched, his fingers finding just the right spot. 

Sliding two fingers inside Alex, Landry massaged his prostate, never letting up as continued to suck him. 

Moaning wantonly, Alex rocked against Landry’s fingers. He was shameless in his need, letting the other man know exactly how he was feeling. 

The boy was so responsive and so sexy, writhing beneath Landry as he worked his cock and his hole. And the sounds coming from Alex, they made Landry’s cock twitch with his own need.

Alex didn’t want things to stop, but he also knew he couldn’t risk coming without permission so he slid his fingers into Landry’s hair and tugged gently. 

Landry knew Alex was holding back when he barely felt him pull his hair. His new boy had a huge fear of failure and he knew he wouldn’t risk coming too soon for fear of displeasing him. Landry didn’t let up; he kept doing exactly what he was and pushing Alex to his edge.

Panicking when Landry didn’t let up, Alex tugged harder. He curled his fingers and toes, trying to shift his focus away from the overwhelming sensations of pleasure. 

Finally lifting his head, Landry continued to work Alex’s cock in his fist. “Come,” he growled softly as he watched Alex’s face.

The look on Landry’s face and the tone of his voice was enough to send Alex flying. He felt the hot splatters of come land on his stomach as Landry’s hand never let up. He moaned softly with pleasure as his body convulsed over and over. 

“That’s it,” Landry purred with approval. The site of Alex in pure pleasure was the reward he’d been waiting for. 

Alex rode out the waves of pleasure as long as he could, finally crashing down and going limp on the bed. He was completely spent, but his thoughts were on only one thing… making sure Landry got his. 

Landry crawled up Alex’s body, looming over him with a smile. “You have a very nice cock. I quite enjoyed sucking it.”

“I enjoyed yours as well,” Alex said, his words slightly slurred. “Can I finish you off?” 

“There’s no rush, enjoy your buzz. You earned it,” Landry said. “We’ve got all night.”

Alex tipped his head up, seeking a kiss. “I can stay?” he asked, a smile on his face. 

“Only if you want to,” Landry murmured before he kissed Alex. 

“I do.” Alex closed his eyes as Landry kissed him, his hands finding their way first to Landry’s stomach and then sliding down to cup his length. 

Landry pulled back with a smile. “So determined,” he said, lifting his hand to rub a finger over Alex’s bottom lip. 

“You haven’t ordered me to stop,” Alex said, sucking Landry’s finger between his lips. 

“I’d love to fuck your mouth. Think you can handle that?” Landry asked, his gaze focused on his finger sliding deeper.

Alex nodded, letting his lips part so Landry could push his finger deeper. He wanted to be used, he craved the sensation he’d just barely experienced earlier. 

Landry withdrew his finger from Alex’s mouth. He grabbed his boy by the hips and pushed him toward the middle of the bed so his legs were no longer hanging over the edge. Landry straddled Alex easily, his knees bracing his shoulders. He fisted his cock as he watched Alex’s reaction. “You won’t be able to talk so use your hand to slap my thigh if you need me to stop. And breathe through your nose,” he advised before pressing the head of his thick cock against Alex’s lips. 

Alex slid his hands up Landry’s thighs, feeling the power in his muscles as he tilted his head back and took Landry in. He kept his eyes on the other man’s face, knowing that Landry was watching his reaction. 

Starting slow, Landry slid deeper into Alex’s mouth then pulled back. He went a little deeper with each push and kept it slow and steady so Alex could get used to breathing with his mouthful. 

Squeezing Landry’s thigh, Alex encourage him to keep going. He knew he could do it, and he wanted to prove it. 

Landry rolled his hips, setting a rhythm as he began to fuck his boy’s mouth. Alex was taking his length like a pro and soon he was moving faster and pushing deeper. 

It took all of Alex’s focus, but he did it, and if could he would have smiled with pleasure. Landry’s cock filled his senses, he was completely immersed in the taste, smell, and feel of it. 

Moaning through parted lips, slack with pleasure, Landry held Alex’s head as he ravaged his boy’s mouth. He pulled out barely in time to come on Alex’s face. Landry’s head tipped back and he let out a low groan as he jacked his cock with his fist, spilling his cum on Alex’s neck and chest. 

Alex gasped when Landry pulled out, but it quickly turned to a moan of pleasure when he realized what was happening. He let his tongue dart out to catch some of the seed, wanting to taste what Landry had to offer.   
Landry sighed, a slow smile curving his lips. Still straddling Alex, he scooted down enough so he could kiss him, sharing his taste with his boy. 

Alex didn’t have the energy to move so he was glad that Landry came to him. “Good?” he asked softly into the kiss, his voice hoarse from the strain of taking Landry’s length. 

“Very. You’re going to have a sore throat tomorrow,” Landry smiled as he moved to settle beside Alex on the bed. He had to admit there were definite advantages to having a boy who was an overachiever. 

“It will remind me of how I got it,” Alex whispered. “Totally worth it.” 

“So you liked that?” Landry asked. 

“Yes,” Alex said, curling up against Landry’s chest. He felt floaty again like he had earlier in the day. Landry felt warm and safe though and he like that Landry stayed there with him. 

Landry wrapped his arm around Alex and held him close. “Next time, I want to cuff your hands behind your back and have you kneel on the floor as I fuck your mouth,” he whispered. 

Even as spent as he was, Alex felt a twitch in his core at the thought. “Okay,” he said softly, lost in thought as he imagined what it would be like. 

“You were so good for me,” Landry said, kissing Alex’s forehead. 

Alex didn’t realize how much he craved those words until he heard them. He vowed to do anything in his power to hear them again, as many times as possible. 

✬✬✬

Alex stepped out of the shower, wishing he actually lived here rather than in his cramped studio apartment. Landry’s shower was luxurious and he’d probably spent a little too much time in there. Unfortunately all he had to put on were the same clothes he’d worn over the previous morning, although he supposed he really hadn’t had them on all that long over the past day. 

Landry had suggested breakfast and he certainly wasn’t going to turn him down. He was eager to spend as much time as he could with him, without seeming pushy. He borrowed Landry’s toothpaste and used his finger as a makeshift toothbrush, deciding it would have to do. With one last look in the mirror he left the bathroom and went in search of Landry. 

Landry had just finished dressing when Alex emerged from the bathroom. He looked up at him and smiled. “Feel better?” 

“Definitely cleaner,” Alex said, smiling back. “Although I didn’t bring a change of clothes.” 

“Well, you weren’t in those very much,” Landry teased. “You look good. Are you hungry?” 

Alex nodded. “Did you have somewhere in mind?” He usually didn’t make it up out of bed in time for breakfast, but his sleep schedule was shot all to hell this weekend. 

“Yeah, there’s a place a few blocks over that does a good breakfast. Eggs Benedict, French toast, that sort of thing. Sound okay?” asked Landry.

“Sounds perfect.” Alex went in search of his shoes and then made sure he had his wallet and phone. 

Landry noticed when Alex pocketed his phone. “Did you need to check in with anyone? A roommate?” 

“No, I live by myself,” Alex said, following Landry out the door. “So I suppose you could have kidnapped me and no one would have noticed.” 

“Do I really need to say that was not a good move?” Landry said he locked the door to his apartment and headed down the stairs. “I mean, I want you to trust me, but you didn’t know you could.”

“It’s worked out okay so far,” Alex pointed out, one hand lightly resting on the rail as they descended the stairs. 

Landry stopped at the bottom of the stairs, turning to look at Alex. They were almost eye to eye since Alex was two steps above him. “But what if it hadn’t? I want you to be careful. Some people can get carried away. The lines can get fuzzy. I don’t want you to be on the wrong end of that.”

Alex reached out and laid his hand on Landry’s arm. “You aren’t ‘some people’, Landry. I know that.” 

Slipping an arm around Alex’s waist, Landry pulled him in for a kiss. “I wasn’t talking about me, darlin’,” he whispered. 

Wrapping his arms around Landry’s neck, Alex nipped at Landry’s bottom lip. “Then you can stop your worrying about me. I’m not planning on running around with anyone else.” 

“Good boy,” Landry smiled as he gave Alex a pat on the butt. “Let’s go, I’m starving,” he said as turned to go into the bar. He unlocked the front door and locked it when he and Alex were outside. “This way,” Landry directed with a tilt of his head as they walked down the sidewalk. A few minutes later they were at the restaurant and seated at a cozy table by the window.

“I don’t think I’ve ever noticed this place,” Alex said as he looked around. “Then again I’m not usually in the Quarter at this time in the morning.” 

Landry laughed. “Home, safe in bed?” he teased.

“Passed out cold,” Alex laughed. “I’m not really a morning person. I’m guessing you aren’t either given your line of work.”

“I like mornings,” Landry shrugged. “But you’re right, I do have a lot of late nights. I don’t work in the bar as much as I did when I first opened though. Actually, I’m training a manager to help with those responsibilities.” 

“So business is good?” Alex asked, leaning back as the waiter brought a steaming pot of coffee to fill their cups. 

Landry waited until the waiter had filled their cups and left them to look at the menu before he replied. “Pretty good. I’m satisfied,” he replied before he turned his attention the the menu. “The Eggs Benedict with the crab cake is really good,” he advised.

“It all looks good,” Alex agreed. “I may have to try this Sunday breakfast thing more often.” 

“It’s better than what I can make,” Landry admitted. “I think I’ve mastered Pop Tarts so I don’t burn them anymore.”

“You’re one up on me,” Alex laughed. “I just eat them raw. Is raw the right word? Uncooked? Cold? Whatever, right out of the package.” 

Landry laughed. “I lived on Pop Tarts in college,” he said. “And Ramen noodles.”

“A college right of passage. Throw in a lot of caffeine and you basically have my daily diet there. So you can see why this is a treat,” Alex said. 

Landry nodded in agreement. “That reminds me, something I wanted to ask you. What’s your GPA?” 

Alex tilted his head and looked at Landry for a moment. “Do you ask all your partners that?” 

“No,” Landry smiled. “Just working on a theory.”

“I have a 3.89,” Alex said, sipping his coffee. “Does that prove or disprove your theory?”

“Depends. Which class was it that you didn’t get the A?” he asked.

“Honors calculus. The TA had it out for me,” Alex grumbled. “My advisor told me I should just take gen ed math but I wanted to prove I could do it.” 

“What was the TA’s problem with you?” Landry continued.

Alex sighed. “He was mad that I was skipping over steps. The answer was still right, I don’t think I should have had to write out all the in between stuff.” 

“What did you think about yesterday and last night with me? Tell me the first thing that comes to mind,” Landry said, his voice low and steady as he looked across the table at Alex.

The abrupt change of subject left Alex reeling and it took him a moment to switch gears. “What did I think about? I don’t know. And I like that. My brain shut off.” 

Landry nodded as he reached for his coffee. “That doesn’t happen a lot, I imagine.”

“No,” Alex said softly. “Honestly it surprised me a little.” It felt like that was a big admission, even though it was rather innocuous on the surface. 

“You are an achiever. A pleaser. You do your best and always try to finish in first. So shutting down and letting someone else take the control is probably not something you do very often,” Landry said, giving his theory. “But when you let it happen with me, it felt good, didn’t it?”

Alex paused and then nodded. “It was scary, but good scary. Were you a therapist before you bought the bar?” he teased, trying to diffuse the intensity of the moment. 

“No. You think I’d make a good one?” Landry joked.

“Yes,” Alex laughed. “Were you at least a bartender before you owned the bar? Don’t they have a reputation for being a lot like a therapist?”

“That they do and yes, I was,” Landry answered. “I started in college to earn some extra money. The hours were good with my schedule.” 

“That makes sense. Did you work at the bar you own now?” Alex wondered what Landry was like when he was younger. He was such a commanding presence, Alex couldn’t imagine him as a struggling college student. 

“No. It was a bar in New Hampshire,” Landry replied.

“Regular or…” he looked around first before continuing in a whisper, “kinky?”

“Regular,” Landry laughed. “When you turn 21, I need to take you to a kinky bar so you can get it out of your system,” he teased.

“I just want to go to your bar. That will be good enough,” Alex promised. “Walking through it when it’s closed just isn’t the same.” 

“Then I’ll buy you your first legal drink on your birthday,” Landry told him. 

“That’s a deal.” Alex couldn’t help but smile at the idea that Landry thought they’d still be together by his birthday. It was encouraging. 

The waiter returned to take their orders and refill their coffee cups. Landry waited until they were alone again before he asked his next question. “Any questions about yesterday? I know you like your questions,” he smiled.

Alex had questions, but it felt like the neighboring tables were practically right on top of them. He wasn’t sure he could really feel comfortable talking about it with so many people around. “Maybe a few,” he acquiesced. 

“Okay, want to ask me one?” Landry prodded. 

Alex tried to think about how to explain it. “My head got really… fuzzy… after we finished. I mean normally I’m a little sleepy and stuff, but this was different. Is that related to what we did?”

“Yes, it is. It was subspace or sub drop. The sensation can differ from person to person, but it’s usually trance-like,” Landry replied.

“Is that why you were extra attentive during that part?” Alex asked, his fingers toying with his napkin. 

“It is. It’s an important time. It involves body chemistry and well as your psyche. I wanted you to land gently.” 

“And what about you? Do tops get it too?” Alex worried that he should have been taking care of Landry too. 

“Yes, top drop can happen, too,” Landry nodded. “The same chemical reactions, endorphins, but for me, it’s more like an intensity of focus.”

Alex thought about that. “So that’s what makes it pleasurable for you?” he asked. “I mean besides the actual sex stuff.”

“It’s part of it.” Landry stared across the table at Alex. “I enjoy it when a beautiful young man submits to me and when he is enjoying what we are doing together.”

Alex thought about what Landry had said about some of the other people in the lifestyle. Or rather what he’d implied. “Do some people get off on their partner _not_ enjoying it?”

Landry nodded slowly. 

“Why?” Alex couldn’t wrap his brain around that. 

“Because they are sadists. The ‘S’ in BDSM doesn’t just stand for submission,” Landry answered.

“Oh,” Alex said softly, staring down into his coffee cup. “I don’t want that,” he said finally, after a long pause. “You know that, right?”

“I do,” Landry replied quietly. “Another reason why David was a bad match for you.”

A cold shiver rippled down Alex’s spine. “I did say thank you, right?” Alex forced a smile and looked up at Landry. “For saving me from myself that night?”

“I’m still not sure I did the right thing, you know. I’m still think I’m too old for you,” Landry pointed out.

“No fair having second thoughts now,” Alex said. “All bets were off when you slammed me up against that dresser.” 

Landry smiled. “I didn’t say that I regretted it.” 

“Good. I don’t want either of us to have regrets about this,” Alex said. “And you are definitely not too old for me.” 

“Really? You’ve gone out with guys my age?” Landry asked, barely disguising a doubtful grin.

“No. But considering nothing I’ve done before has worked out, this might be the answer,” Alex smiled. “But seriously. I want someone who knows what they are doing. And you are that person.” 

“So I guess keeping you all day and night wasn’t the best way of changing your mind?” Landry teased. 

“You gave me a nap in there. I’m in college, I’m used to keeping odd hours. You were a student once, you know how it was. And I’m sure the bar leads to some odd hours at times too.” 

“It does. But it’s all right, I never was much for routine,” Landry said. Their breakfast arrived and the conversation paused as they tasted their food. “How is it?” Landry asked.

Alex tasted the eggs, which were cooked to absolute perfection. “Amazing,” he proclaimed once he swallowed. “Remind me to let you make recommendations every time we eat out.” 

Landry smiled before he tucked into his own food. _Every time we eat out._ It sounded like Alex was planning on sticking around. 

They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, each of them clearly enjoying the meal. Alex sat back in his chair to pause and savor with a sip of his coffee. “Is it too forward of me to ask when I can see you again?” 

Shaking his head as he finished chewing, Landry wiped his mouth with a napkin before replying. “No. Forward is good. I like forward,” he smiled. “When would you like to see me again?”

Alex smiled. He hadn’t been sure how Landry would respond, but it seemed positive. He decided to go for broke. “Is Wednesday too soon?” 

“Day or night?” Landry asked.

Alex hadn’t expected that question. “I was thinking night. I don’t have any Thursday morning classes. But I just realized that nights aren’t good for you,” he said, clearly dismayed. 

“Nights are not a problem with a bit of planning. Wednesday night and Thursday morning are fine with me. I would prefer it if you stay over,” Landry told him. 

“No wandering around the Quarter afterwards,” Alex smiled, remembering what Landry had said. “I’d love to stay over.” 

“Then it’s a date,” Landry confirmed with a smile. 

“A date,” Alex repeated softly, unable to keep the stupidly large smile off his face.


	6. Chapter 6

Alex bounced his leg in a steady rhythm as he tried to keep his focus on his professor. His mind kept wandering, both to the previous weekend and the evening to come. Those things had Landry in common, the source of all his distraction.

He’d managed to grab a nap Sunday afternoon and then stay busy with his homework, but by Monday afternoon he was already watching the clock and counting the minutes until Wednesday. Now that it was mere hours away from the appointed time his tenuous grasp on his academic focus was slipping away. He’d put in extra hours on Monday and Tuesday so that he was prepared for his Thursday afternoon and Friday classes. He didn’t want any regrets to come from seeing Landry in the middle of the week… or at least regrets related to school. As always he worried that he’d misstep or fail when he was with his new lover, but he had to just put that out of his mind. He believed that Landry wouldn’t let him fail, he just had to put his trust in Landry’s hands. 

Landry washed a dirty glass in the sink and dried his hands as he looked around his large living area. He hadn’t had many guests since buying the bar and moving into the apartment above it. He was looking forward to seeing Alex again and wanted to be sure his home was comfortable and inviting. 

He had been thinking a lot about his new boy since he left on Sunday. Their initial time together had been a good experience and he was anxious to know if that would be repeated. Alex was so eager and responsive, and naturally sexy without affectation. It was so early in their relationship, but Landry found himself making plans anyway. 

Landry hadn’t been too happy with the idea of turning 30 and not having much to show for it, except a bar and degrees in Philosophy. Now he realized he had a great group of friends in the lifestyle and the potential of a new partner in Alex. The year was definitely turning out better than he had expected.

Alex shifted his backpack - heavier than usual with a change of clothes and a toothbrush inside - up higher on his shoulder. He gave his name to the bouncer at the door and asked him to let Landry know he was there. He waited on the sidewalk, bouncing on his toes slightly in anticipation. 

Landry hurried downstairs when Lou called him to let him know that Alex had arrived. He gave his bouncer a questioning look when he didn’t see Alex. Lou pointed toward the door, so Landry stepped outside to find Alex. 

“Hey,” Landry smiled, bowing his head to give Alex a kiss. “Want to come up?” he asked.

“I do,” Alex murmured against Landry’s lips. He had to raise up high on his toes to kiss Landry, even with the other man bending down. “You make me feel very short,” he teased as they walked into the bar. 

“You’re just the right size,” Landry said and he led Alex toward the back and the staircase that led upstairs to his apartment. “There’s a back entrance from the courtyard, but the stairs need some repair. I’m going to start working on those now that I have a good incentive.”

“So I don’t have to ask for you at the door every time I come over? That would be nice,” Alex asked, just to confirm.

“I should have told Lou to send you up. I’m sorry about that. I’ll be sure to let him know the next time,” Landry promised as they walked into his living space.

“I wanted to be respectful of his job,” Alex said, setting his bag down by the door. “I didn’t want to put him in the position of risking getting in trouble for letting someone underage in, even if I was headed right upstairs.” 

“I appreciate that,” Landry said as he closed and locked the door behind them. He waited until Alex set his backpack down before lifting him up in his arms. “Now, how about you give me a proper kiss,” he said with a warm smile.

Alex laughed as Landry scooped him up. He wrapped his arms around Landry’s neck and kissed him soundly, releasing the pent up desire from their separation. 

“That’s more like it,” Landry whispered as he started walking toward the bedroom. “I could offer you something to eat or drink. Or we could watch some TV or chat. But what I really want to do is get you naked and tied up in my bed.”

A thrill of anticipation raced through Alex’s body at Landry’s words. “Yes please, that first. We can do the rest later,” he said, breathless from the kiss. 

Landry put Alex down next to the bed and took a step back. “I want you to undress for me. Slow. I want to watch you,” he instructed. 

Alex felt a wave of nervous energy, despite the fact that Landry had seen him naked before. He started with his button down shirt, concentrating to keep his fingers from trembling as he worked open the small buttons. Shrugging out of the soft cotton fabric, he laid the shirt over the back of the chair in the corner of the room. He left his shoes and socks there as well before turning back to face Landry as he undid the button and zip on his jeans. 

Landry moved, walking around Alex without moving closer as he continued to watch his boy undress. He coveted each new spanse of bare skin and imagined how good it felt to touch it. 

Alex paused when Landry moved closer, but then continued as instructed. He pushed the denim down past his hips and then slowly stepped out of them and cast them aside. Goosebumps popped up on his skin as he stood before Landry in nothing but his underwear.

“All of it. I want to see you,” Landry told him, his tone low and soft. He found Alex’s shyness to be more of a turn-on than he had expected. 

Taking a deep breath, Alex slid his boxer briefs off and added them to the pile of clothes. He knew he had nothing to hide but he still felt like Landry had him under a microscope. 

Landry moved in, standing close as he ran a hand over Alex’s shoulder, chest and belly. “Beautiful,” he murmured as he tilted Alex’s chin up to force him to look him in the eye. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again.” 

“You’ve been on my mind all week,” Alex admitted, swaying slightly into Landry’s touch. 

“Only good thoughts, I hope,” Landry whispered before pressing his lips against Alex’s temple and sliding his arm around his waist. 

“All good,” Alex promised. “Distractingly so.” Landry’s shirt felt soft against his skin and he could feel the warmth of his skin through the fabric. 

“Tell me,” Landry ordered as he guided Alex back toward the bed. 

“I thought a lot about what we did. And how much I wanted to do it again,” Alex said as they moved, already completely tuned in with a singular focus to every word and touch from Landry. 

“Did you think about the way you were restrained? That urge to touch and feel as you pulled against your bindings?” Landry asked, his voice a soothing purr next to Alex’s ear. 

“It’s maddening,” Alex said, closing his eyes as he remembered. “In a good way though.” 

“I’m going to restrain you again,” Landry told him as he gently pushed him onto his back. “This time with cuffs.” He picked up the fur-lined cuffs that were laying on the bed. Landry positioned Alex where he wanted him, moving the boy easily on the bed. He fastened the cuffs around Alex’s wrists and pulled his arms above his head to connect the chain between the cuffs to a chain fastened to the frame of the bed. 

Alex stayed still until Landry was finished and then he flexed his wrists, testing out how the cuffs felt. They were stiffer and more constricting than the soft ties Landry had used before, but Alex liked how they felt. He tugged at the chain and found there was no give, and he smiled. 

Landry couldn’t resist tracing Alex’s smile with his finger, smiling himself at his response to being bound to his bed again. He let his hands wander down over Alex’s chest where he rubbed his nipple with his thumb until it was hard nub beneath his touch. “Are your nipples sensitive?” asked Landry.

“A little,” Alex said with a nod, finding that everything was more sensitive when Landry’s hands were involved. 

“I’m going to use nipple clamps on you tonight,” Landry told him as he pulled them from his jeans pocket. 

Alex’s gaze shifted from Landry’s face to the clamps dangling from his fingers. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing pulse. 

Landry sat on the bed next to Alex. He used his fingers to caress and tease his boy’s nipples as he held his gaze. Landry started with light touches then escalated to rolling them between his finger and thumb and tugging them ever so slightly. 

Alex was surprised when Landry started with his hands rather than the metal devices, but that thought was quickly wiped from his mind as Landry worked. He squirmed under the assault, his movements limited by his tether to the headboard.

“I would agree that you are a ‘little’ sensitive,” Landry teased. “Close your eyes,” he told Alex.

Taking one last look at Landry to sear his image into his mind, Alex complied. He knew that having his eyes closed would heighten his other senses, and he braced for what might come next. 

Landry continued to steadily rub Alex’s nipple with his finger, clipping the clamp on without breaking the motion. 

It took a moment for the sensation to register, but Alex gasped when the receptors in his brain finally caught up to the tight pinch of the metal clamp. He exhaled sharply but realized that what he was feeling was good… and had heightened his arousal. 

“Good boy,” Landry praised as he rubbed the other nipple. “Do you like being good for me?” 

“Yes,” Alex said, turning towards Landry’s voice. Even though he couldn’t see him, his voice was a steadying presence. 

Just as he had with the first clamp, Landry fastened the second one onto Alex’s other nipple with no warning. 

Moaning softly, Alex again rode through the initial bite of pain and let the warm flush of arousal soften the sensation into pleasure. 

Landry bent his head to capture Alex’s moan with a deep kiss. His hand slid down Alex’s belly to his hardening cock where he wrapped his fingers around it and began to stroke. 

Alex pressed up into the kiss as best he could with his hands bound. He rocked his hips against Landry’s hand, craving even more. 

Slow and steady with his hand, Landry worked Alex’s cock until it was hard and leaking. He kept kissing Alex until he was breathless and squirming.   
Fighting to keep his eyes closed, Alex used his body to show Landry just how he felt. “Please,” he begged, not even knowing what it was he wanted. 

“Say it again,” Landry growled softly as he palmed Alex’s balls. 

“Please,” Alex said, his voice strained with need. He spread his legs, chasing more contact with Landry’s hand. 

Landry stopped his hand and pulled away. “Open your eyes,” he ordered as he moved to stand by the bed. 

It took Alex a moment to compose himself enough to obey, his body screaming from the abrupt withdrawal of Landry’s hands. He managed to comply, his eyes slowly focusing on Landry’s face. 

Landry undressed slowly as he kept his gaze focused on Alex’s face. The expression of need on the young man’s face was intoxicating. He opened the drawer on the small bedside table for a condom and the lube then crawled back onto the bed, moving into place between Alex’s legs. 

Alex watched every movement with hawkish eyes, it felt like Landry was moving through molasses as Alex had to wait for his return. He couldn’t help but squeeze his thighs together briefly as Landry settled, just for the contact. 

Squeezing some lube on his fingers, Landry rubbed them together to warm the cold gel before he slid it over Alex’s hole. 

Looking down the length of his body, Alex wished he could see Landry’s fingers. He knew the visual would add that much more to the overwhelming sensations he was already experiencing. 

Landry slipped first one finger then two inside the heat of Alex’s body, working him open to take his cock. “How do these feel?” he asked as he gave the chain connecting the nipple clamps a light tug. 

The tug reignited the fire in Alex’s nipples that had dulled to a soft ache. “Good,” me moaned softly, the pleasure from Landry’s fingers mixing with the pain signals in his brain. 

The sound of Alex’s moan was perfect. Landry removed his fingers and quickly rolled on a condom. Using more lube to ease the way, he slowly pushed inside Alex. 

Alex exhaled sharply as he focused on relaxing and letting Landry in. His size wasn’t a surprise any longer, but it was still something to be reckoned with. Alex watched the pleasure flicker across Landry’s face and it excited him to know he was the cause. 

It was Landry’s turn to moan. It felt so good to be inside Alex, fucking him deep and slow. Landry lifted his boy’s legs, bending him double as he began to push harder. 

Landry’s moan was music to Alex’s ears. All his nerve endings were on fire, the pleasure and pain sensors reacting in rapid succession. “More,” he gasped out, not knowing if his body could take it, but knowing he wanted it. 

Landry pushed faster, pounding into Alex. He paid attention to his boy’s reactions, learning what Alex responded to best and committing each one to memory. Landry angled his thrusts to hit the spot that had Alex whimpering for more. 

Alex lost the battle to keep his eyes open, closing them as he focused every shred of his energy on holding back. Landry pounded against his prostate and his entire body screamed for release. “Please,” he begged softly. “So close.” 

Wrapping his hand around Alex’s cock, Landry gave him the permission he wanted as he continued to fuck him. 

Alex’s eyes flew open as he came, his body bowing up off the bed. The cuffs dug into his wrists, holding him in place even as body tried to curl up toward Landry. 

Landry stayed inside Alex and continued to stroke him as he slowly came back to himself. When Alex began to squirm from the overstimulation, he pulled out and pulled off the condom so he could jerk himself off. Landry came all over Alex’s belly, marking his boy again. 

Before being with Landry, Alex had never really thought about having someone come on him. Now he craved it, needed to be owned like that. He wondered if he should be embarrassed by that, but he was way too blissed out to care.

Dragging his finger through the cum on Alex’s skin, Landry drew a circle then held it near Alex’s mouth as an offering.

Alex obediently reached out with his tongue and licked Landry’s skin clean. “Thank you,” he murmured. 

“Thank you,” Landry whispered before kissing Alex. He nipped at Alex’s bottom lip before pulling back to look at him. “You are beautiful when you beg,” Landry told him before kissing him again.

“Sometimes I’m not even sure what I’m begging for,” Alex admitted, the intimacy of the moment freeing him to say exactly what he felt. 

“I thought you were begging to come,” Landry said as he unfastened the cuffs around Alex’s wrists. 

“There at the end I was. But if you hadn’t let me, I don’t know if that would have been a bad thing either,” Alex said, focusing on his wrists as he rolled them back and forth now that they were free. 

“Oh, now that is a dangerous thing to tell me.” Landry said with a smile as he pulled away for a moment to pull off his condom and dispose of it. He returned to Alex’s side, taking his wrists in his hands to inspect them and rubbing the reddened skin gently.

Landry’s fingers were soothing against his chafed skin, but he couldn’t help but look down at the nipple clamps and worry about how those were going to feel when they released. “You are dangerous in a good way,” Alex said, still feeling a little fuzzy.

Moving to sit with his back against the headboard, Landry positioned Alex with his boy’s back to his chest. “Delayed orgasm is a particular favorite of mine,” he confessed in a whisper next to Alex’s ear as he held him close.

“Yeah?” Alex asked quietly as he laid back against Landry’s broad chest. “You know I’ll try my hardest for you, right?”

“I do,” Landry replied, cupping Alex’s chin and turning his face toward him for a kiss. He kissed him deeply, his tongue sliding against Alex’s.

The kiss did nothing to clear Alex’s foggy brain, but it felt so good and intimate, even after what they’d just done. 

Landry kept kissing Alex as he slid his hands into place. Without releasing Alex from their kiss, he removed both nipple clamps as the same time. 

Alex cried out as the blood rushed back into his nipples, but the sound was swallowed up into the kiss. Landry held him in place and helped him ride out the pain until he could relax again in Landry’s arms. 

“Stings a bit, doesn’t it?” Landry said softly as he brushed the hair off Alex’s forehead. 

“Just a little,” Alex said, with a smile. “But that’s the point, isn’t it?”

“Pretty much,” Landry chuckled, tracing Alex’s smile. “I’m going to take this smile as a sign that you liked it.” 

“You’re very perceptive,” Alex said, bending his lips to kiss Landry’s finger.   
“I try to pick up on things.” Landry removed his finger and replaced it with his mouth as he kissed Alex again.

Alex smiled into the kiss. He couldn’t believe his luck, having stumbled across Landry almost by accident that night. Fate had been kind to him indeed. 

✬✬✬

Landry walked slowly, taking care not spill the coffee in the cups he was carrying. Alex was still asleep somewhere under the covers in his bed. They’d shared an active night (and early morning hours) of sex and had finally relented for some sleep, but Landry wanted the opportunity to spend some more awake time with his young lover. There were still so many things to learn about each other, and their focus had definitely been on satisfying Alex’s voracious curiosity and the strong attraction between them. 

He set the cups of coffee on the bedside table and climbed onto the bed to dig among the covers in search of Alex. He found an arm connected to a shoulder which he kissed and murmured a soft “Good morning”. 

Alex pushed back enough of the covers to smile sleepily at Landry. “Good morning. Assuming it’s still morning.” It was hard to tell after being up most of the night.

“It’s almost eight,” Landry replied as he reached for a cup of the coffee to give to Alex. “I thought you might need some of this.”

“Only eight? You need to get back in bed with me,” Alex said, even as he sat up enough to take the coffee. 

Landry chuckled softly then picked up his own cup of coffee. “It’s my job to wear you out, not vice versa,” he teased before taking a sip of the hot coffee.

“Seriously. Get in here,” Alex said, making room for Landry under the covers. “No one should be out of bed before at least nine.”

Taking care not spill his coffee, Landry shifted and worked his way beneath the bed covers until he was next to Alex. “Happy now?” he smiled.

“I am,” Alex said, shifting over to drape his legs over Landry’s lap. “Thanks for the coffee.” 

“You’re welcome.” Landry ran his free hand over Alex’s legs. “You have great skin. I like that your skin is fair, but your eyes and hair are dark.”

“I might not be this fair if I got outside more,” Alex said, sipping his coffee. “I tend to spend a lot of time indoors.” 

“Studying?” asked Landry.

Alex nodded. “Boring, right?” 

“No. I find intelligence to be very sexy,” Landry replied. 

Blushing, Alex leaned in and kissed Landry’s cheek. “Thank you for understanding. I really am trying to be a whole new me right now though. So maybe that will involve getting some fresh air.” 

“Fresh air is good. But not a tan. I like you the way you are,” Landry said firmly.

“Shade only,” Alex promised softly, wanting to do what Landry would like. 

Landry brushed a finger over Alex’s cheek. “How many lovers have you had?” he asked quietly.

Alex took another sip of coffee while he thought. “Like relationships, or just people I’ve had sex with?” he asked, going the blunt route. 

“Both,” Landry replied. 

“Two relationships of a length worth mentioning, and…” he paused, looking sideways at Landry, “like ten?” He couldn’t be sure of the exact number but that was definitely a reasonable guess. 

“Were they your age?” Landry continued.

Alex nodded again. “Give or take.” 

“No one as old as me then?” Landry took another sip of his coffee.

“You aren’t old,” Alex immediately protested. “You have experience and maturity that make you incredibly sexy.” 

“I said ‘as old’,” Landry corrected with a smile. “The age difference must be something you’ve thought about or you wouldn’t sound so defensive right now.”

“I think you are the one who is defensive about it,” Alex said gently, not wanting to push. “I don’t even think about it unless you bring it up.” 

“So our age difference has nothing to do with our sexual dynamic?” Landry asked.

Alex thought about that, watching Landry over the rim of his coffee cup as he did. “I’m sure it does. It makes sense that it is part of the power differential.” 

“That’s not always the case. I know doms who are significantly younger than their subs. The reason I asked is because I’m curious if it’s a factor,” Landry explained. 

“I like that you are experienced. It makes me feel safe to explore with you. I don’t know that I’d feel that with someone younger...or even my own age.” Alex wasn’t sure he was conveying what he meant, but he hoped it was coming across. 

Landry leaned in to kiss Alex. “I’m glad you feel safe with me.” 

Alex wound his hand around the back of Landry’s neck. “So what do you think?” Alex murmured against Landry’s lips. “Does our age difference make a difference to the sex?”

“Not as long as you can keep up with me,” Landry teased. “And if you do have a Daddy Complex, I guess that’s okay, too.” 

“A Daddy Complex?” Alex asked, leaning back enough to see Landry’s face. 

“You haven’t taken psychology yet?” Landry responded.

“I have. I just felt like it might have another meaning in regards to...all this,” Alex said. 

“Nope. It’s the same thing. Only with kinky sex as the goal.”

Alex made a face. “I don’t want you to be my daddy. Is that ok?”

Landry grinned at Alex’s expression. “You don’t want me to spank you for being a bad, bad boy?” 

“Well that part would be ok. I just don’t want to call you Dad in the process.” Alex shook his head. “Sometimes this stuff is just really weird.” 

“Yeah, I don’t want you to call me Dad either,” Landry replied as he ran his hand through Alex’s tousled hair. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to confuse you. I was just having some fun with you.” 

“No it’s good. I need to learn,” Alex said closing his eyes to enjoy the sensation of Landry’s fingers in his hair. 

“I think you are pretty much on the fast track right now,” Landry said as his hand dropped to the base of Alex’s neck where he massaged the muscles.

“I’m doing ok?” Alex asked, his eyes still closed. It made it easier to open up if he wasn’t embarrassed by Landry looking right at him. 

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Landry answered with his own question.

“Yes. But you avoided the question,” Alex said, tensing slightly. 

“No, I didn’t. I just let you answer it. If you are enjoying yourself, then you are doing it right,” Landry said softly. 

Alex cracked open his eyes. “You always do that. Manage to turn it around like that. Do they teach you that at Dom school?”

Landry laughed out loud. “Of course. I graduated at the top of my class.” 

“I would have expected nothing less.” Alex smiled. “Seriously though, an experienced Dom like you teaches a new sub like me, but how to Doms learn to be Doms?”

“The same way. Someone with experience shared their knowledge with me. And most of it you learn by experiencing it for yourself,” Landry replied. “We’ve been fortunate to have good chemistry and we share interest in the same things. Some people aren’t so lucky.”

 _Lucky._ Just as he’d thought the night before. “I’m definitely lucky.” 

“We both are,” Landry agreed softly before he leaned in to give Alex a tender kiss.

Alex was pleased to hear Landry felt the same way. It had been hard to get a read on exactly how he felt, he kept his cards close to his chest. 

“Did you want to get some more sleep?” Landry asked. “I can wake you up before it’s time.”

“I don’t want to waste my time with you sleeping,” Alex admitted. He strokes his fingers over Landry’s arm, tracing the band of his tattoo. 

“What would you rather do?” Landry’s gaze dropped to Alex’s fingers as they touched him. 

“This isn’t bad,” Alex smiled, his fingers still moving softly across Landry’s skin. “Talking. Touching. Learning.” 

Landry moved closer and dropped a soft kiss on Alex’s bare shoulder. “Are you learning?” 

“I am. You are an excellent teacher.” He leaned over and deposited his coffee cup on the nightstand in order to free up both hands.   
Following Alex’s lead, Landry place his cup next to his on the table. “And have you liked what you’ve learned?” he asked.

“I have,” Alex smiled. “I know that it’s just the tip of the iceberg, but so far so good. Have you gotten used to being with someone so new to all of this?”

“Sure. I like your curiosity. I’m rediscovering things by sharing them with you,” Landry confessed. 

“That makes you sound like you were bitter and jaded,” Alex teased, sliding his hand up Landry’s chest. 

“Ouch,” Landry laughed, playing along with Alex’s assessment. “Come here,” he said as he took Alex’s hand. “Lean back against me.” Landry guided Alex until he was sitting between his spread legs, his back against Landry’s chest. 

Alex shifted into place and relaxed, Landry’s chest warm and strong at his back. 

Landry kissed Alex’s neck as his hands roamed over his boy’s bare chest and abdomen. “Do you want me to teach you something new?” he whispered next to Alex’s ear as he touched him. 

“Always,” Alex said softly, his pulse already racing just from the thought. The fact that Landry could do that to him with just a word or a touch was probably something he needed to think more about. 

“I’m going to touch you and you only have to do one thing for me,” Landry said softly, his breath warm on Alex’s skin. 

“Why do I have a feeling that “one thing” has a catch?” Alex asked, tipping his head back to rest on Landry’s shoulder. 

“Because you’re smart,” Landry replied with a smile. 

“Sometimes I think it would be easier if I could shut that part of my brain off,” Alex said. 

“You can. You just have to work on it. Anything is possible when you put your mind to it. Now close your eyes and relax,” Landry ordered. 

Alex did as he was told, but the relaxing was harder than he thought, He body practically vibrated with anticipation, waiting for what was to come. 

Landry stroked his fingers across Alex’s chest, toying with his nipples. “Do you want to know what the one thing is that you have to do for me?” 

Alex was quiet for a moment, contemplating the tenderness that still lingered in his nipples from the night before. “Yes.” 

“I’m going to hold you like this,” Landry slipped an arm around Alex’s waist. “And I’m going to touch you like this,” his fingers circled Alex’s cock. “And the only thing you have to do is not come until I tell you.” 

“This is going to be wonderful and horrible all at the same time, isn’t it,” Alex said, his cock already filling from Landry’s touch. 

Landry chuckled. “Only if I do it right.” He set a slow, but steady pace as he stroked Alex’s cock. Landry kissed Alex’s shoulder and neck again, inhaling the scent of his boy’s bed warm skin. 

Landry’s arm was strong and sure around his waist, holding him tightly in place. Not that he’d try to get away, but if he did he wasn’t going anywhere. Alex tried to focus on the way Landry’s mouth felt against his skin, the rhythm of his breathing, knowing he need to keep his arousal tamped down as much as possible. 

“Are your nipples sore?” Landry whispered as his finger circled and worried one of the taut nubs. 

“More...tender than sore I’d say. Sensitive.” Alex wasn’t sure that was the best information to give Landry, knowing how he’d probably use it. 

“I knew your nipples were sensitive. But that ache you felt after the clamps was good, wasn’t it?” Landry questioned as he kept his hands busy with Alex’s cock and the nipple he was teasing. 

“Yes,” Alex admitted softly, Landry’s fingers having reignited that feeling. 

“And you’re going to touch them tomorrow, too, aren’t you? Because that achy tenderness goes straight to your cock,” he said as he gave the length in his hand a slight squeeze. 

“Yes,” Alex said again, his cheeks flushing with arousal and a hint of embarrassment. “And I’ll be thinking about this when I do it.” 

Landry flicked Alex’s hardened nipple with his fingernail. He nuzzled against Alex’s neck and nipped at his earlobe, his hand still steadily stroking Alex’s cock. 

Alex moaned softly, trying to shift away from the contact but finding himself held securely in place. a

Moving his hand away from the nipple, Landry used it to cup and roll Alex’s balls. He moved his fingers down his boy’s cock, stroking him only beneath the head. 

Alex was so hard his cock was leaking pre-come, but he knew Landry was no where near ready to let him find release. He wanted to be good for him, and he held that thread, something to focus on as Landry’s hand worked him expertly. 

Landry’s hand began to move faster, pumping Alex’s cock relentlessly. He held him still as he squirmed. Landry was pushing the boy, but the reward would be worth his suffering.

Crying out, Alex turned his head to press his face against Landry’s neck. It muffled the sounds he was making, and the contact with Landry’s skin helped him hold on. He’d never tried to delay for so long before and his entire body shook with the effort. 

Without warning, the hand on Alex’s cock stopped and Landry released it. He tilted Alex’s head just enough to cover his mouth with a kiss, muffling the beautiful moan he made. 

Alex’s hips jerked, chasing the contact even as he drowned in the kiss. He was completely and utterly overwhelmed and just had to trust Landry to keep him sane. 

“So good,” Landry murmured the praise as he tweaked Alex’s nipple again. “Do you want to come?” 

“Yes. Please.” Alex said, his voice sounding strange to his ears, like it was floating from a disembodied form across the room.

“But you’ll hold on for me, won’t you?” Landry purred as his fingers glided over Alex’s cock. 

Alex groaned, the feather light touch just enough to be maddening but not enough to relieve the pressure that was building. “Yes.” 

Landry used both of his hands to rub and pull at Alex’s nipples. “Have you ever come without your hand on your cock?” 

“No,” Alex gasped, his back arching up away from Landry’s chest. 

“I’ll have to try that on you some time,” Landry said as he took hold of Alex’s cock and began to stroke him again. The boy was trembling with need, eager for release, and he didn’t want to push him too far, too fast. “But for now . . . go ahead and come for me.” 

It took Alex a moment to unclench enough to let go, his body wanting that last check with his mind to be sure it was safe. He screamed as he came, the intensity of the ordeal and the sensation of release completely shaking him to the core.   
Landry held him as he came undone. He kissed Alex’s sweat-damp temple and murmured soothing words as his boy slowly floated back from where Landry had taken him. 

“I did it,” Alex said softly when he finally could make sense of what had happened. “Right?”

“Yes, you did it.” Landry smiled and kissed him again. “You were great.”

Alex sagged back against Landry’s chest, knowing they’d have to move soon to clean up, but too exhausted to worry about it at the moment. 

Landry moved Alex so that he was laying on his back next to him. “Can I get you some water?” he asked while he gently pushed his hair away from his eyes.

“That would be good,” Alex smiled, feeling stronger already. He loved watching Landry take care of him, there was a softness in his eyes that didn’t come out at other times. 

“Be right back,” Landry told him as he slid out of bed. He returned a few minutes later with a cold bottle of water and warm, wet washcloth. Landry opened the water and held it to Alex’s lips. 

Alex sat up enough to drink, and then rested on his elbows as Landry cleaned his skin. “We need to take care of you now,” he said, hyper aware of the fact that Landry hadn’t gotten to experience anything near what he just had. 

Landry smiled and shook his head. “Another time. I want you to rest. Edging takes a lot out of you and I know you have class later.”

“That’s not fair to you,” Alex said softly, laying back down. 

“No one is keeping score, darlin’. And I wasn’t short-changed. What I got out of this was more than fair,” Landry told him, lifting his hand to caress Alex’s cheek with the back of his knuckle. 

“If you’re sure,” Alex said, making sure Landry could see on his face that he really was offering out of a sincere place. 

“I’m sure. Now stop protesting before I decide to punish you,” Landry said, tempering the threat with a smile.

Alex playfully put his hand over his mouth, even though he was learning that punishment from Landry might not be all bad. 

“There will be a time when I’m the one who comes and you won’t get to. Just so you know,” Landry added with a chuckle.

Alex’s eyes widened and he swallowed hard. “Okay,” he said softly, his hand falling away from his mouth. 

“Don’t worry.” Landry leaned in to kiss his forehead. “You’ll like it. Now get some rest.”

“Make sure I’m up in time to shower,” Alex said as he settled in. “I’ll head straight to class from here.” 

“I will,” Landry promised as he took the water bottle from Alex. 

Alex smiled and then pulled the covers up to his chin, ready to rest up before facing the rest of the day. 

Landry woke Alex in time for a shower and quick bite to eat before he was ready to leave for class. He walked with him down the stairs, reluctant to have him leave. Jules was working behind the bar when they passed on their way to the door. 

“Thanks for coming over last night,” Landry said, his hand resting at the small of Alex’s back as they moved through the bar.

“Thanks for having me,” Alex said, a delayed smile playing across his lips when he realized how that sounded. He liked the feeling of Landry’s hand on his back - he still wasn’t sure how to act with him in public, but that gesture felt like a small sign of the good sort of possessiveness. 

“Are you sure you have time to get to class? I don’t mind calling a cab,” Landry offered.

Alex checked his phone. “I should be fine. The streetcar shouldn’t be crowded this time of day.” He lingered at the door for a moment, hoping Landry would ask about their next meeting, but knowing he might have to be forward about it. 

“I know you have a busy schedule of classes and studying, but be sure to take some time to rest, okay?” Landry advised softly. He knew that Alex was far from fragile, but he still had the desire to take care of him. 

“I will, I promise.” He hesitated for a moment, glancing around to be sure they were alone save for the bartender who looked busy washing glasses, before forging ahead. “When can I see you again?”

Landry smiled, bending his head to maintain their privacy. “When would you like to see me again?”

Alex wanted to say “tonight,” but he knew he shouldn’t. “Do you have to work this weekend?” he asked, resisting the urge to rise up on his toes and give Landry a kiss while their heads were bent so close together. 

“I have some time this weekend. How about Saturday night?” Landry asked. 

“Saturday would be perfect,” Alex smiled. “Just ask for you at the door again?”

“Yes. I’ll tell the bouncer to expect you.” Landry brushed Alex’s cheek with a kiss. “And I need you to do something for me.”

Alex’s cheek tingled where Landry had kissed him. “What’s that?” he asked, knowing whatever it was he’d do it without question.

“I don’t want you to come. No masturbation over the next two days,” Landry replied.

Alex bit his lips and studied Landry’s face to be sure he wasn’t joking. Finding no hint of anything there, he nodded slowly. “Ok,” he said, his mind already whirring as he thought about how he’d make it. 

Landry lifted his hand, his thumb rubbing over Alex’s bottom lip to free it from its trap. “It will be worth the wait,” he smiled. 

“I just don’t want to fail,” Alex whispered, his eyes flickering over to the bartender, who seemed to be lingering. “I want to be good for you.” 

“You won’t fail. You’re a very good boy,” Landry whispered. “Look on the bright side, you will have more time to study,” he added with a grin. 

“Yes but will I be able to concentrate?” Alex said, managing a smile. 

“That depends on you. You should get going. I don’t want to make you late for class. I’ll see you Saturday night,” Landry told him.

“See you Saturday,” Alex said, reaching out to touch Landry’s arm. He reluctantly turned to go, but not before one last glance at Landry over his shoulder. 

Landry smiled as he watched Alex leave, pleased that the boy hadn’t been eager to go. He turned around to see Jules staring at him with a grin on her face that matched his own. 

“What?” he asked as he approached the bar. 

“Haven’t seen you have an overnight visitor in ages. I was beginning to think you’d forgotten how,” Jules teased. 

“It’s like riding a bike,” Landry smirked as he slid onto a barstool. 

Jules reached under the counter and dug out one of Landry’s root beers from the stash she kept in the cooler. “I recognize him. The new kid from the munch last month?”

“Yes. His name is Alex,” Landry said before he took a drink of the Barq’s root beer.

“That was fast,” she said, leaning against the bar. “And seeing him again Saturday?” She tapped a finger against the wood as she thought. “And you were off last weekend which is unusual for you. This seems serious.” 

“He’s new to the lifestyle. You know how eager a newbie can be.” Landry took another swallow of his drink. 

Jules stared Landry down. She knew how unusual this was and she was willing to pry it out of her friend. “Uh, huh,” she murmured, not moving an inch. 

“What?” Landry repeated with a slight frown. Jules always did have a way of seeing right through his bullshit. “We are enjoying each other’s company right now. Anything wrong with that? And if you say one single word about his age, I can’t be responsible for my reaction.”

“I didn’t say a word about his age. You brought it up, and seem pretty defensive about it,” Jules pointed out. 

“He’s mature for his age. Focused,” Landry said, ignoring Jules’ perfectly targeted remark. “He came to the bar one night because he overheard someone talking about BDSM and the Paradox.”

“I haven’t seen him in here,” Jules said with a frown. “I never forget the pairing of a face and a drink order.” 

Landry sighed. “He can’t drink yet. He’s not twenty-one until May.” 

“Oh my God,” Jules said, laughing out loud. “I didn’t realize he was _that_ young.” The whole situation was so unlike Landry that she was slightly worried something was wrong with him. “Is this about the fact that you just turned thirty?”

“No!” Landry said quickly then shook his head. “Yes. Maybe. I don’t know.” 

Jules’ expression softened. “You could have just bought a sports car or something. You didn’t need to prey on an impressionable kid.” She was teasing, but there was a kernel of truth there. 

“I did not prey on Alex! If anyone preyed on anyone, it was him who preyed on me.” Landry protested. “Wait, that is not what I meant. He didn’t _prey_ on me. He asked me to guide him. I said no, but then he showed up at your house with David. And you know David’s reputation with newbies. What was I supposed to do?”

“So you were saving him,” Jules said, wondering if was actually Landry that had needed the saving. 

Landry sighed again before taking another drink of root beer. “It wasn’t that noble,” he admitted.

Jules smiled and shook her head. “At least you are being honest.” 

“You saw him. He’s very attractive,” he said. “His inexperience combined with his eagerness to learn is a very heady combination. Everything is new and exciting for him. And he he has a million questions.” Landry’s face changed as he was talking about Alex, his lips curving into a broad smile.

Jules could see it plainly on Landry’s face, but she still wanted to ask. “You want him to be yours,” she said softly. She’d known Landry a long time and had never seen him talk about someone like this. 

“What? No.” Landry shook his head again. “That is not what I want.”

Jules raised her hands, palms out, and took a step back. “If you say so.” She knew better than to push. Not with this.

“He’s only twenty years old. He doesn’t know what he wants, but I’m sure he doesn’t want that kind of commitment at his age,” Landry continued.

“I didn’t say it was smart, or that how we feel is logical,” Jules said, in full bartender/counselor mode.

“He’s a kid. He’s going to get enough of whatever this is we are doing right now and he will move on,” Landry said firmly.

Jules nodded. “Duly noted.” 

Landry’s eyes narrowed as he looked at his friend. “Stop it,” he said, his tone close to one a petulant child would use.

“Stop what?” Jules laughed, returning to their usual teasing banter. 

“You know what,” Landry murmured before drinking the last of his root beer.


	7. Chapter 7

Alex waved at the bouncer at the door, this time not even having to say a word before the other man turned and headed for the office. The music was blaring inside, the heavy beat of the dance music enough to vibrate the walls. It was as crowded as Alex had ever seen it, but then again he’d been here at odd times before. 

Landry wound his way through the crowd, about halfway through he stopped to wave at Alex, gesturing for the boy to come to him. 

Alex hesitated for a moment, just to be sure he was interpreting Landry’s gesture correctly, but then slipped through the door and fought his way through the crowd. “Hi!” he shouted over the din. 

“Hey!” Landry replied loudly as he took Alex’s hand to help guide him through the crowd toward the back of the bar. When they reached the staircase, he gestured for Alex to go ahead of him. “Sorry it’s so loud. It’s busier than usual for a Saturday night. Something must be going on in town.”

“That’s good though!” Alex said, leaning in to say the words right in to Landry’s ear. “More money for you!”

Landry nodded his agreement then followed Alex up to his apartment. When they were inside, he closed and locked the door. “I’m glad I invested in the sound proofing during renovation. But you can still hear it when the windows are opened.” 

“I don’t mind. We can just make some noise of our own,” Alex smiled. He left his bag by the door and slipped out of his shoes. 

Slipping an arm around Alex, Landry pulled him in. “That’s a perfect plan. I like the noises you make,” he smiled.

“I like making them for you,” Alex said, resting his hands on Landry’s chest. “How was the rest of your week?”

“Busy. How was the rest of yours?” asked Landry. 

“Busy,” Alex agreed. “But everything is done and my plate is completely clear tomorrow. 

“Good,” Landry smiled. “Were you able to do as I asked?”

“Yes.” Alex was proud. It hadn’t been easy, but there had only been once that he really worried he would fail. 

“Excellent! You deserve a reward,” Landry said as he scooped Alex up into his arms and carried him over to the couch. He buried his face in Alex’s neck, breathing in his fresh scent. “You smell good,” he murmured. 

Alex hoped the reward involved getting to come...if it didn’t Landry’s hands on him were going to be a problem. “You feel good,” Alex said, pressing the length of his body against Landry. 

“You are wearing too many clothes,” Landry tugged at the hem of Alex’s henley, pulling it off over his head and messing up his hair in the process. 

“Couldn’t walk over here naked. Too cold for that,” Alex laughed as Landry stripped him down. “But now I’ve got you to keep me warm.” 

Landry picked Alex up again, handling him easily as he sat him in the center of the couch in the living room. “Spread your arms out across the back of the couch,” he ordered. “And don’t move them.” Landry spread Alex’s legs and knelt between them. 

Alex hesitated for a moment before he moved. Part of him wanted to stop and talk to Landry about how on edge he was and find out whether the point of this was going to be to test his will power. Instead he forced himself to trust Landry and he laid his arms out on the couch.

“I can see those wheels spinning,” Landry said as he met Alex’s gaze. “What are you thinking?” he asked as he slid his hand up Alex’s bare thigh. 

“I’m worried,” Alex admitted softly. “I’m afraid the minute you touch me it’s going to be all over.” 

Landry looked at Alex’s worried expression and smiled softly. “You have to trust me, Alex. You have to believe that I know your limits and that I can judge when to push you and when to reward you. It’s all part of submission. You give me that trust and I don’t let you fail.” 

“That’s why I didn’t say anything,” Alex said, offering a soft smile. “I’d just managed to convince myself that it was ok to trust you.” 

“The decision just hadn’t translated to the expression on your face,” Landry grinned. 

That brought out a bigger smile. “I’ll work on that.” 

Landry nodded. “This is not a test or a challenge. This is about you and making you feel good. I’m going to suck you and finger you and you can come when you want, but I would like you to hold back as much as you can. Not until you think you might explode, I just want you to concentrate on controlling your orgasm. And keep your arms like that. Do you understand?”

Alex’s cock twitched just from Landry’s words. He shivered with anticipation, the pleasant fuzziness he’d come to associate with being with Landry already starting to settle in. “Yes.” 

“Good boy,” Landry grinned as he raised up on his knees to give Alex a kiss. 

Alex leaned into the kiss. He hoped that he wasn’t annoying Landry with his insecurities. 

Landry moved slowly down the center of Alex’s body, leaving a line of kisses down the center of his chest and belly and finally to his cock. He slid the hardening length between his lips and began to suck him. 

Moaning softly, Alex tilted his head back against the couch. He knew that watching would just make it harder to hold back. 

Circling Alex’s cock with his fingers, Landry held it at the base as he pulled off to tease the sensitive spot beneath the head with his tongue. He glanced up at Alex, the pleasure evident on his face.

Alex squirmed against the couch. He wanted to rock his hips to soak up more friction, but he knew that would just make it more torturous. 

Landry released Alex just long enough to pull a packet of lube and a condom from his jeans’ pocket. He opened the lube and smeared it on his fingers before he swallowed Alex’s cock again. Landry rubbed his slick fingers against the boy’s hole and slid his finger inside as he sucked him. Crooking his finger, he rubbed it over Alex’s prostate as he fucked him with it. 

Crying out, Alex clenched his hands against the couch desperately hanging on. He was completely overwhelmed, the tension that had built over the past few days putting every nerve ending on fire. 

The desperate sounds that Alex made were not enough to deter Landry from pushing his boy to the very edge. His goal was to shatter Alex, but he would still be there to help him back together again.

Alex tipped his head up to look down at Landry. It took him a minute to focus, but he managed it. The look on the other man’s face pushed his pleasure even higher, it was completely evident that Landry was enjoying this as well. 

Landry slid a second finger inside, doubling the assault. He relaxed his throat as he let Alex’s hard cock slide deeper with each push. 

“Close,” Alex warned, even though Landry had given him permission. Landry’s fingers were heavy and big inside him, stretching him open even as they raked over his prostate. He was full out moaning now, over and over, but he didn’t care how he sounded. 

Pulling off Alex’s cock, Landry teased his leaking slit with the tip of his tongue before sliding his slick lips up and down his rock hard cock. He took him back into his mouth, timing the thrust of his fingers with his sucking.

The thread of control Alex had been holding on to finally snapped and he flooded Landry’s mouth with his release, his back lifting up off the couch as he bowed in half. 

Landry swallowed, Alex’s cum dribbling down his chin. He didn’t let up on his finger’s assault, he wanted everything that Alex was able to give him. 

With Landry’s fingers causing aftershocks to rock his body, Alex moaned softly. His nerve endings were fried, sparks of pleasure randomly firing and making him twitch. 

Landry nuzzled Alex’s spent cock as he continued to slowly fuck him with his fingers, pushing his boy over the edge.

When Landry’s touch crossed the line from pleasure into discomfort, Alex shifted his hips away, even though the movement was more of a suggestion given the way he was trapped against the couch. 

Lifting his head to look up at his boy, Landry eased off and removed his fingers. He moved closer, still kneeling between Alex’s legs. “Give me a color,” Landry said as he watched Alex for his reaction.

Alex wasn’t sure what Landry meant at first, but then he realized Landry wanted to know he was comfortable with what was happening. “Green,” he said, making sure he was looking Landry in the eye. 

“Good,” Landry smiled, pulling Alex close for a claiming kiss. He slid his fingers into Alex’s soft hair and tugged his head back as he kissed and nipped his way over the line of Alex’s jaw and down his neck. “Because now I’m going to fuck you with more than my fingers,” Landry crooned.

Alex trembled involuntarily at Landry’s words. A moment ago he would have said he was too over stimulated, but now he wanted nothing more than Landry’s cock inside him. 

“Roll over,” Landry ordered. He guided Alex with a hand on his hip. Landry positioned his boy to lean over the back of the couch, knees against the back cushions and his perfect ass in the air. He gave Alex’s butt a smack and smiled as the pale skin turned pink. 

Alex arched his back, offering his ass up for more. He made sure he was solidly balanced, ready to take everything Landry had to give. 

Landry ran his hand down the center of Alex’s back, sliding his fingers along the cleft of his ass before giving his boy another smack on his other cheek. “You like having that perfect ass of yours spanked, don’t you?” 

“Yes,” Alex gasped out, dropping his head down toward his chest. 

“You like having it plowed by my big cock, too,” Landry said, landing another slap on each butt cheek. He bent to retrieve the condom packet he’d laid on the floor earlier. Landry tore it open and rolled on the condom then rubbed his fingers over Alex’s slick hole, spreading the lube onto his cock. 

Alex couldn’t help but glance over his shoulder to watch as Landry stroked his own cock in preparation. He licked his lips in anticipation before turning back around and bracing himself against the couch. 

Landry patted the inside of Alex’s thighs. “Spread ‘em wider for me,” he said, his voice deep with arousal. 

Alex did as he was told, working his knees as far apart as he could while still staying upright. 

Grabbing Alex’s hips, Landry pulled him back sharply. He liked manhandling his boy and he was able to do it easily in this position. Landry rubbed the head of his cock over Alex’s hole to tease him. He was anxious to be inside him again, but he didn’t want to rush through the pleasure of having Alex that way.

Whimpering softly at the tease, Alex thrust his hips back wantonly. He was stretched and loose from Landry’s fingers and he wanted to experience taking Landry all the way in on the first try. 

“Yeah, you want it,” Landry said as he pressed inside. “Push back on it. Show me how me how much you want it,” he said as he held Alex’s hips and guided him back. 

Alex slammed back, groaning as his ass mashed up against Landry’s hips. He felt split open, but in a good way, like Landry was taking him right to his core. 

“Oh yeah,” Landry moaned. He pulled back then thrust hard to push back inside again, rocking Alex into the back of the couch.

“Yes,” Alex hissed, holding tightly to the couch. This was better than all his fantasies from the days they’d been apart, something he didn’t think was possible. 

Sliding a hand up Alex’s back, Landry held him at his shoulder and his hip as he continued to slam into him. The couch make scraping sounds against the floor, but he never let up. Landry was taking what was his.

Alex cried out with each snap of Landry’s hips, his voice echoing off the walls. He was completely overwhelmed but trusted Landry to hold on to him. 

Landry tightened his hold on Alex as he angled his thrusts to pound against his boy’s prostate. He didn’t know if Alex would be able to come again so soon, but he was going to make him wish he could. 

“Oh God,” Alex said, his fingers tightening against the couch. It was too much and just enough all at once. 

Letting up enough to let go of Alex’s hip, Landry reached around to stroke his boy’s cock. “Can you come again?” he asked with a squeeze of his hand. 

Groaning at the shift in pace, Alex took a moment to assess and catch his breath. “I….I think so,” he stammered out. 

Landry resumed the powerful thrusts as he continued to stroke Alex’s cock. “Does it feel good? My cock filling you up?” he murmured.

“Yes. I’ve missed it,” Alex said, arching his back to use his body to beg for more. 

“Brace yourself against the back of the couch with one arm and use the other to stroke yourself,” Landry commanded, helping Alex get into the requested position. He held Alex with both of his hands and his hips and slammed into him again, the beginning of his orgasm firing along his nerves.

The position felt precarious, but Landry’s strong hands assured him he wouldn’t fall. His hand flew over his cock and he knew there was no doubt that he could come again for Landry as soon as he asked for it. 

Landry groaned loudly as he came, pushing deep inside his lover. He kissed the nape of Alex’s neck, his breath hot against his skin. Landry pulled Alex back and supported him against his chest. He covered Alex’s hand and helped his boy stroke his cock. “Come for me,” Landry murmured next to Alex’s ear. 

The tone of Landry’s voice and the feeling his his hand covering Alex’s cock was enough to send him flying. The orgasm wasn’t as strong as his first, but it was a long, slow burn, his body jerking over and over. 

As Alex shuddered and trembled in his arms, Landry mouthed soft kisses against his neck before he bit down, marking his boy.

A surprised cry flew out of Alex’s mouth, but it was quickly replaced by a moan as his body responded to what Landry was doing. There was something deep inside him that responded to it, even though he wasn’t sure why. 

Landry mouthed the mark he’d made on Alex’s fair skin. He moved to sit on the couch, pulling Alex into his arms and holding him close. Landry ran his hand through Alex’s sweat damp hair and smiled at his exhausted boy.

Alex curled up in Landry’s lap, resting his head on his shoulder. “I don’t want to move for awhile,” he said softly. 

“There’s no hurry,” Landry assured him. “But you are going to want to shower and sleep at some point,” he added with a soft laugh. “You were fantastic, by the way.”

“You weren’t bad yourself,” Alex smiled. “But you’re going to have to explain the biting thing to me.” 

“You didn’t like it?” Landry asked as he ran his fingers over the mark he’d made on Alex’s neck. 

“I did like it. I don’t know why though and I don’t know what it means.” He closed his eyes and tilted his head, giving Landry’s fingers more room. 

“None of your lovers has ever given you a hickey?” Landry bent his head to kiss the spot he’d marked.

“Not with that much teeth,” Alex said, smiling as Landry went after the spot he’d already marked. 

“It’s primal,” Landry murmured against Alex’s skin. “I marked you as mine.”

Alex craned his head, needing to see Landry’s face. “Yours?” he asked softly, holding his breath as he waited for a response. 

“Yes. My boy. You are my boy and no one else’s. Anyone who sees that mark should know that you belong to the one who gave it to you.” 

“I like the sound of that,” Alex said, leaning up for a kiss.   
Landry kissed his boy slowly, deeply, until his skin was flushed and he was breathless. “Mine,” he whispered as he rubbed a finger over the mark again.

“Yours,” Alex confirmed, happier than he could ever remember being.

✬✬✬

The following morning, Landry was sitting on the bed across from Alex, his legs crossed as he enjoyed his morning coffee. He smiled over the rim of his cup when he caught a glimpse of the mark he’d left on Alex’s neck the night before. 

“That’s a good look for you,” he murmured, secretly satisfied with the claim he’d made. 

It took Alex a moment, but he followed Landry’s gaze and realized he meant the mark. “How’s it look this morning,” he asked, his fingers grazing over the spot. 

Landry reached over, his fingers covering Alex’s as they caressed him. “Good,” he smiled. “How’s it feel?”

“Good,” Alex smiled, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the touch. “How long do you think it will last?”

“With your pale skin, at least a week,” replied Landry. “It’s still sweater weather if you need to wear a turtleneck,” he added, grinning into his coffee cup. 

“Why would I hide it?” Alex asked, opening his eyes back up to look at Landry. “Should I hide it?” he asked after a pause, wondering if he was missing something. 

“No, not if you don’t want to,” Landry answered. 

“I don’t want to,” Alex said, touching the mark again. “I like it.” 

“Good. Because I like seeing it on you,” Landry told him before he finished the last of his coffee. 

“Feel free to maintain it,” Alex said over the rim of his mug, smiling at Landry. 

Landry arched an eyebrow and grinned. “Thank you. I will,” he said with a slight nod of his head. 

“And you are always welcome to greet me at the door like you did last night,” Alex teased, his cheeks flushing as he recalled their dalliance on the couch. 

“Hey,” Landry reached over and tugged Alex closer, careful of the coffee cups still in their hands. “I know you are still new to this, but I am the one who gives the permission,” he said with a sly smile. 

Even though Landry’s voice was light, Alex tensed. “Sorry,” he said with a soft smile. “Still learning.” He knew it wasn’t meant that way, but he couldn’t help but feel it. 

“And you still haven’t figured out that I enjoy teasing you.” Landry brushed a soft kiss on Alex’s cheek. 

“I’ve figured it out, I just haven’t figured out how to not react like that,” Alex admitted quietly. He nuzzled into the kiss, enjoying the intimacy of the moment. 

“Can I offer a theory?” Landry said softly, his free hand resting on Alex’s shoulder.

Alex nodded. “Always.” 

“It’s because you are a sub. It’s your nature to want to please and to obey.” Landry used his thumb to caress the mark on Alex’s neck. “And to be owned.”

Alex thought about it. “Makes sense. And I’m naturally driven, which means I have a huge fear of failure. Not just in this, in everything.” 

Landry nodded. “You are definitely an achiever.”

“That can be good, right?” Alex asked, a yawn escaping his lips. He reached for the last of his coffee to keep him going. 

“Definitely,” Landry replied as he watched Alex drink the last of his coffee. “Want a refill?” he offered.

“No, you don’t want me bouncing off the walls and then crashing later,” Alex laughed. “And speaking of that…” he paused, working out the right way to ask. “Am I allowed to request a rule? Or does that fall into giving permission thing?”

“What kind of rule?” Landry asked as he took the coffee cups and set them on the side table.

Alex grabbed a pillow and hugged it to his chest, needing something to do with his hands now that the cup was gone. “Just...more like a request I guess. Nothing big.”

Landry moved close to Alex again, taking one of his hands and holding it. “You can ask me anything you want. I may not always give you the answer you want, but it is important that we communicate. I don’t want you to ever be afraid to talk to me.”  
“I’m not afraid,” Alex promised. “You’ve never made me feel afraid.” He wanted Landry to know that. “I feel like this is a big build up to something that is seeming a little silly now,” he said with a frown. 

“It’s not silly if it’s something you want.” Landry tugged on Alex’s arm playfully in the hopes of getting his smile to return. “Tell me,” he urged.

Landry’s gesture worked, and Alex smiled. “So I’m spending a lot of time when I’m not here working ahead and making sure I don’t have any school work to worry about while I’m here. But that means a lot of all nighters and just a general lack of sleep. But when I’m here I sleep like a rock, probably because of our “pre-sleep activities,” he grinned. “But I don’t want to waste our time together. So if I crash on you, please please please just wake me up. Don’t sit around and wait for me to get up on my own, ok?”

Landry thought for a moment. It was evident that this was important to Alex, but he didn’t want to agree to something that might not be good for his boy. “Sounds like you are burning the candle at both ends. Are you sure you are getting enough rest?” 

“I’m young. And the semester is only 16 weeks long. I can do anything for 16 weeks,” Alex smiled. 

Shaking his head, Landry laughed. “Achiever,” he teased. “But you know I don’t want your studies to suffer because of me. And I don’t want you run ragged trying to do it all. Why don’t you want to sleep while you’re here with me?” 

“It’s not that I don’t want to sleep. I’ll sleep when you sleep for sure. In fact, it’s some of the best sleep I’ve ever had,” Alex said, his blush returning. “I just don’t want you sitting around here for hours while I saw logs.” 

Landry laughed again. “Okay. I get it. I’ll wake you up when I’m awake.” He nudged Alex to lie back as he hovered over him. “Is there any particular method I should use when I wake you?” Landry smiled as he straddled Alex’s legs. 

“This is looking promising,” Alex smiled, glad that his request seemed to be well received. “But we can always experiment.” 

“I could tickle you awake,” Landry said as he grabbed at Alex’s sides with his fingers. 

Alex squealed and tried to squirm away. “No,” he giggled. “Not recommended.” 

Landry chuckled, his hands going still. He leaned down, his face close to Alex’s. “I could kiss you awake,” he said before pressing his lips against Alex’s.

“Mmmm,” Alex murmured into the kiss. “I like that.” 

Slipping his hands beneath the waistband of Alex’s boxers, Landry pushed them down over his boy’s hips. He moved down Alex’s body, kissing his warm skin along the way. “I could wake you up by sucking you?” 

“Stealing ideas from how I like to wake you up?” Alex teased, his pulse racing from Landry’s attention. 

“It’s a good idea,” Landry grinned. “Or . . .” he took hold of Alex and quickly turned him over so that he was lying on his stomach, his bare bottom exposed. Landry pushed down the waistband of the pajama pants he was wearing to expose his cock. He rubbed the hardening length along the cleft of Alex’s ass. “I could fuck you awake.”

Alex suddenly found himself unable to breathe as a wave of arousal threatened to drown him. “Yes please,” he managed to gasp out, just barely resisting the urge to push back against the contact. 

“Don’t move,” Landry ordered before he left the bed just long enough to slip out of his pajama pants and get the lube and a condom. He knew his boy would still be somewhat stretched from their earlier activities, but he wanted to be sure. Landry climbed back onto the bed and gave Alex a smack on his bottom. “On your knees.” 

Alex worked his way up onto his knees, the elastic of his pajama pants bunching at his knees. He kept his chest and head down against the bed so his ass was presented to Landry. 

Landry squeezed some lube onto his fingers and pushed two of them inside Alex. He felt his boy clench around his fingers. “Sore from last night?” he asked.

“Good sore,” Alex murmured, the dull ache making him proud for having taken everything Landry had to give the night before. 

Smiling, Landry removed his fingers. He reached down between Alex’s legs to rub his balls and stroke his thickening cock. “Good boy,” Landry praised.

“Thank you, Sir,” Alex said softly, choosing to use the word Sir even though he knew Landry didn’t require it. 

Landry ran his hands over Alex’s back and down his arms. He took hold of Alex’s wrists and pulled him up, dragging him over the bedsheets and placing his boy’s hands on the headboard of the bed. “You will want to hold on,” Landry advised. “And keep your eyes straight ahead,” he added before he left the bed again. 

Alex wrapped his hands around the top of the headboard, making sure he had good balance on his knees. He locked his gaze on the wall despite the overwhelming urge to watch to see where Landry was going. Being left alone gave him a small wave of anxiety, but he pushed it down, knowing he was safe in Landry’s care. 

“I’m going to take off those pants,” Landry said when he returned. “Keep holding that headboard,” he said as he slid the pants under each of Alex’s knees to pull them off completely. Landry gave his boy’s ass another firm smack. “That’s better. Now spread your legs.”

The sound of Landry’s voice was calming to him, even as his arousal spiked. He could feel the fuzziness that was becoming familiar to him now descend like a cloud. He worked his knees as far apart as he could, using his grip on the headboard to keep steady. 

Landry moved closer, pressing against Alex’s back. He ran his fingers between the cleft of Alex’s ass, pushing one finger inside him. Landry moved it in and out slowly as he whispered next to Alex’s ear. “I’m feeling greedy right now,” he said in a low purr. 

Alex sucked his lower lip between his teeth, stifling the moan that threatened to escape. “Take what you want,” he said as he exhaled. 

“Oh, I plan to,” Landry replied as he pushed a second finger inside and resumed the steady rhythm he’d set. “I wanted to fuck you, but I also want to suck you. So I’m going to do both.” 

This time Alex couldn’t hold back the moan. “Oh yes please,” he babbled, not caring that he sounded like the greedy one. 

Landry smiled at the effect he was having on his boy. He quickly removed his fingers and reached for the dildo he had retrieved on his second departure from the bed. Landry coated the thick rubber with lube and pressed it against Alex’s hole before he slowly eased it inside. 

The sensation wasn’t what he was expecting at all, and Alex found himself starting to turn his head before he remembered his order and snapped it back towards the wall. 

“It’s a dildo,” Landry said when he noticed Alex’s reaction. “I’m going to fuck you with it while I suck you,” he explained, not bothering to disguise the pleasure in his tone. 

Alex nodded, the rush of heat pulsing through his body keeping him from forming a verbal response. The rubber cock stretched him open nicely, the slight soreness from the night before only serving to make it feel even better. 

Landry moved to lie on his back before sliding his head between Alex’s spread knees. He licked a stripe along the underside of Alex’s cock before taking it into his mouth to begin sucking him. 

Grasping the headboard more firmly, Alex shuddered as he realized the full potential of what Landry had planned. Landry’s mouth was hot and he surrounded every inch of Alex’s length. He closed his eyes, focusing solely on what he was feeling. 

When Landry had set a slow and steady pace with his mouth, he began to work the dildo in and out again as well. He heard the soft creaking noise his bed made with their movements and the sexy sound of Alex’s stilted breathing above him. 

Alex settled into the rhythm Landry set, his hips shifting ever so slightly back and forth. For the moment he rode the pleasant waves of pleasure, even though he knew in the back of his mind that Landry would push him harder before they were through. 

Landry worked the dildo in deeper, adjusting the angle with each push until he got the reaction from Alex’s body that he wanted. He released Alex’s cock, stroking it with his other hand as he looked up at Alex’s flushed face. “How do you feel?” he asked, his voice slightly hoarse from having his boy’s cock down his throat.

“Like I’m flying,” Alex whispered. He’d lost all track of time and space, only his white knuckled grip on the headboard keeping him tethered. 

Giving Alex a devilish grin, Landry took his cock back into his mouth to begin the dual assault again. He worked the dildo faster and sucked Alex’s cock harder, never letting up on him. 

Alex cried out over and over as Landry pressed the head of the dildo against his prostate on each stroke, all the while teasing his cock mercilessly. Beads of sweat trickled down his back, tickling as they went, but he paid them no mind as he focused on keeping his control. 

Landry released Alex’s cock again, breathing hard from his task. “You can come when you want,” he told him. “And after you do, I’m going to fuck you for real.”

Again, Alex had to forcibly resist to keep from looking down at Landry. “I’m there,” he said, by way of warning, knowing that as soon as Landry swallowed him down again he’d be unable to resist. 

Pressing the dildo deeper, Landry teased the head of Alex’s cock, tonguing the slit before he took him to the hilt. He felt the tremble in Alex’s thighs and knew his boy wasn’t going to hold back much longer.

“Landry,” Alex gasped as his body yielded and he spilled down his lover’s throat. The headboard was the only thing that kept him upright as his muscles trembled violently from the release. 

Landry swallowed as much as he could and wiped the rest off his chin as he smiled up at Alex. “Don’t let go,” he warned in a gravelly rasp as he scooted out from between Alex’s knees. Landry quickly rolled on a condom then pulled out the dildo that was still pressed deep into Alex and replaced it with his cock. His boy was nicely stretched, but tight and warm as he pushed inside him. 

Alex was too spent to protest his body’s loss as the dildo slid out, but when Landry’s cock pushed inside his fried nerve endings sparked anew. “Use me,” he murmured, putting words to what he was feeling. 

“Oh, I am, darlin’. I am,” Landry said as he slid his hands down Alex’s arms, his fingers circling his wrists. He pulled Alex away from the headboard and back against him, his cock pushing deeper inside him. 

The full body contact pushed Alex further down into subspace, his body completely at Landry’s mercy. Without anything to hold onto, he had only Landry to keep him upright. 

Landry held Alex, locked against him as he thrusted inside him. He hadn’t planned the morning’s events but with each step he wanted more and more of Alex. Landry wanted to completely wreck his boy then hold him close until he slowly came back together again. 

Alex tipped his head back to rest on Landry’s shoulder. His body yielded completely to Landry’s desire and he wanted nothing more than to be the source of his pleasure. 

With Alex’s neck offered to him, Landry did not resist the temptation. He pressed his mouth against the mark he’d made, licking and sucking it, bruising the tender skin deeper. 

Moaning, Alex clenched tightly around Landry’s length, using his muscles to milk his cock each time it pushed deeper. 

Landry’s moan of pleasure matched Alex’s moan and he gave into it completely. His arms clenched tighter around his boy as he shuddered with his release. Landry pressed his forehead against the back of Alex’s shoulder as he slowly came back to himself. “Fuck,” he said breathlessly. “You’re perfect. Taking everything I give you.”

Landry’s words gave him more pleasure than anything that had come before, which was saying a lot. Alex felt like he was glowing, heady with the praise. 

Easing out of Alex, Landry held him tightly to support him as he lowered him to the bed then stretched out beside him. He pulled the sheet and duvet over them when he realized that Alex was trembling. It had been their most intense coupling to date and Landry was suddenly concerned that maybe he had pushed his young lover too hard. 

Landry ran his hand over Alex’s forehead and looked into his eyes to see the blown pupils staring back at him. “Still with me?” he asked.

Alex nodded. “Still here.” He hadn’t come out of the fog of subspace just yet, content to just float along in Landry’s arms. 

“Need some water?” Landry offered, caressing Alex’s flushed cheek with the back of his finger. 

“In a minute. Don’t leave me right now.” It was raw and honest, and later Alex was sure he’d be embarrassed for asking, but it was what tumbled from his lips in the moment. 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Landry smiled before bending his head to give Alex a tender kiss. 

“Good,” Alex whispered, returning the kiss.

“You went down deep that time,” Landry commented softly. 

Alex nodded and then frowned slightly. “Is that ok?” They hadn’t talked about it much, just that is was something that happened, and he’d never really thought about there being different levels. 

“Yes, it’s okay,” Landry smiled. “That’s usually the goal.”

“So it’s normal?” Alex snuggled in against Landry’s shoulder, content to rest there while they talked. 

“Completely normal. Were you worried that is wasn’t?” asked Landry as he tightened an arm around Alex.

“Maybe,” Alex said, thinking it through. “I don’t really have anything to compare to. So yeah I guess so.” 

“Do you like the way it feels?” Landry rested a hand on the nape of Alex’s neck, his fingers gently massaging it.

Alex sighed with pleasure, Landry’s touch soothing muscles he didn’t even realize were sore. “I do. A lot. What causes it?”

“There’s more than one theory. One theory is the psychological aspect of BDSM causes subs to separate mentally from their environment as they process what is happening to them. The physiological theory is that the pain and pleasure a sub experiences triggers a release of natural chemicals like adrenaline and endorphins and those chemicals have the same effects as drugs, increasing tolerance and producing a trance-like state.” Landry stopped talking and smiled. “Is that TMI?”

“It’s a lot of big words,” Alex smiled, still floating in his dreamy state. “Tell me again later?”

“Okay,” Landry laughed softly. “Is the ban on sleeping still in effect or can I let you rest?”

“You can let me rest, but don’t let me sleep the day away. I don’t want you to waste your day off work hanging around and waiting for me to get up, ok?” Alex hoped that Landry might stay there with him, at least until he fell asleep. 

“Resting with you is not a waste of my day,” Landry assured him. “Go to sleep,” he ordered.

Alex cracked his eyes open so he could find Landry’s lips and kiss them. “Yes Sir,” he murmured before settling in to rest. 

Landry relaxed, closing his eyes as he continued to hold Alex and let sleep take over.


	8. Chapter 8

Alex yawned and stretched his arms up over his head. His muscles protested, but the memory of what had caused the ache was more than pleasant enough to make up for it. He was alone in the bed, as usual, Landry almost always being an earlier riser.

They’d fallen into a predictable pattern with Alex staying over pretty much every time their schedules aligned. He rarely slept when they weren’t together, using every spare minute to get ahead on his work so it was off his plate. The only time he slept long and hard was in Landry’s bed. While it was probably from the physical exertion, if he was honest with himself there was probably more to it as well.

Throwing off the covers, Alex quickly discovered there was just a bit of chill in the air. He grabbed one of Landry’s t-shirts from the drawer and tugged it on over his head. Their height difference meant the shirt fell to mid-thigh on him, and wearing only that, he went in search of Landry. 

Standing in the kitchen, Landry was using a towel to dry his wet, shoulder length hair with one hand as he made toast with the other. He saw Alex out of the corner of his eye and started to greet him with a bright hello that faded on his lips when he turned to get a good look at him. 

Landry’s busy hands went still as he stood and stared at the boy who was wearing his clothes. The visceral reaction he had to seeing Alex in his shirt wasn’t logical, but it was real and it triggered every dominant instinct he had. 

“Hey,” Landry finally managed to say.

“You know you are supposed to get me up when you get up,” Alex smiled, he started to take a step towards Landry but stopped in his tracks when he saw his face. “Is everything okay?”

The bread in the toaster popped up, startling Landry out of his reverie. “Yeah, yes. Everything’s great. I was making toast and then I was going to wake you up,” he explained as he put the two pieces of toast on a plate. 

“If you say so,” Alex said, going after a cup of coffee. “But I have a feeling you were planning to let me sleep.” 

“Not dressed like that,” Landry murmured under his breath as he resumed drying his hair.

“Is it okay that I borrowed your shirt? I didn’t want to get dressed before I got in the shower,” Alex said as he sipped his coffee. 

“Sure. You’re welcome to anything. You know that,” Landry replied as he pulled his damp hair back into a loose bun. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the toast. “That shirt looks better on you than me anyway.”

“If you say so,” Alex smiled. He could tell he was having an effect on Landry, even if he wasn’t entirely sure why. “Sit down and enjoying your toast while it is still warm. I’ll tend the toaster until mine is ready.” 

Landry’s eyes followed Alex as he passed him on the way to the toaster. He wanted to know if Alex was wearing anything under the shirt and toast was now the last thing on his mind.

“Sit,” Alex said again, shooing Landry away from the toaster with a laugh. 

Dropping into a chair, Landry took a seat at the small kitchen table, but continued to watch Alex as he bit into his dry toast. He swallowed wrong and started to cough, pounding in his chest as he cleared his throat.

Alex brought Landry a cup of coffee while he waited on his toast. “You okay over here?” He rubbed Landry’s back gently. “Need me to Heimlich you?”

The mental image of Alex doing the Heimlich Maneuver on him with their disparate sizes made him laugh as he was drinking his coffee which caused him to sputter and for coffee to come out of his nose. “Fuck,” he muttered as he used his towel to clean the mess he was making.

Alex shook his head and stepped back, just in time to get his toast when it popped up. He buttered it and grabbed a paper towel to use as a napkin and returned to the table to find Landry had managed to compose himself. “All better?”

“That coffee burned like a mother fucker,” Landry confessed, his eyes still a bit watery from the harsh experience. 

“Ouch,” Alex said, wincing at the thought. With a grin, he slid between Landry and the table, straddling his lap and sitting down on his thighs, bringing them face to face. “Should I kiss you to make it feel better?”

“Yes. You absolutely should,” Landry smiled as he slid his hands up Alex’s thighs. His smiled widened when the question of what Alex was wearing under his shirt was answered. 

Alex leaned in and kissed the tip of Landry’s nose, and then tilted his head to move the kiss to his lips.

Landry’s hands slid beneath the shirt as he pulled Alex closer, deepening their kiss. His boy tasted like coffee and buttered toast and sexy morning siren.

Threading his fingers through Landry’s damp hair, Alex sank into the kiss, enjoying the way it simmered. So often their kisses were frantic preludes filled with frenzied need, but this one was just a slow burn of desire. 

Landry smiled when they finally parted. He pressed his forehead against Alex’s. “This is why I let you sleep. I can’t keep my attention on anything else when you are awake,” he whispered.

“Is that a bad thing?” Alex asked, his fingers still playing through Landry’s hair. 

“Not at all,” replied Landry. 

“Good.” Alex took a deep breath, wanting to bring up what he’d been thinking about when he woke up earlier. “Can I ask for something?” he said hesitantly. 

Landry’s eyebrows raised, curious about Alex’s question. “Sure you can,” he said softly. 

“Remember back when we first met, you asked me what made me think I’d like this stuff?” Alex stayed in close so that he didn’t have to look Landry right in the eye. “And I said that a guy I’d been with playfully spanked me… and I kinda wished it hadn’t been so playful? And then the other day when you threw me over your shoulder you did the same thing…” 

“When I spanked you,” Landry smiled encouragingly. 

Alex nodded. “I was wondering if we could do that again… only not so playfully.” It was hard for him to get that out, but he had enough trust in Landry to know it was safe to say it. 

“You want me to spank you, but mean it,” Landry said for clarification.

“Yes. I think so,” Alex said, adding the second part after a moment’s pause. “I want to try it,” he said firmly. 

“We can do that,” Landry replied. He reached up to hold Alex’s chin, forcing his boy to look him in the eyes. “I would love to spank you,” Landry smiled.

As usual, the look in Landry’s eye told Alex everything he needed to know. He’d had no reason to worry. “Is that something you like?”

“I do. Especially when I can spank an ass as perfect as yours,” Landry smiled, slipping his hands under Alex to give said ass a squeeze.

“Well if you manage to survive breakfast, then my perfect ass is all yours,” Alex teased, leaning in to kiss Landry’s nose again. 

Landry chuckled as he pulled Alex into his arms and kissed him again. Breakfast was the last thing on his mind now. Instead, his brain was filled with mental images of his boy’s ass, red and marked.

Alex shifted forward on Landry’s lap, the cotton of his pajama pants soft against his bare skin. He laid his hands against Landry’s broad chest, enjoying the sound kiss. 

“We should move this to the bedroom,” Landry murmured between kisses.

“Okay,” Alex said softly, not breaking the kiss. He ran his hands slid over Landry’s shoulders, feeling the strength in his muscles. 

Landry’s hand moved to the nape of Alex’s neck, holding him tight as they continued to kiss. Finally, they pulled apart and he smiled at his boy’s flushed face and swollen lips. “Go get on the bed,” Landry ordered as he started to help Alex off his lap. “And keep the shirt on,” he added.

Alex smiled. He made a mental note to wear Landry’s shirt more often. Once he was steady on his feet he made his way back to the bed, pushing aside the blankets before crawling into the center on his hands and knees. 

Taking some time to make sure the coffee pot was turned off and there was no toast in the toaster, Landry used the time to get a firmer hold on himself. Alex had a way of getting to him like no other partner he’d had. Landry wasn’t convinced that was necessarily a good thing. He let his hair down as he walked toward the bedroom then pulled it back in a tighter ponytail. The sight that greeted him when he entered the room made him pause just to admire it - his boy kneeling in the center of the bed, waiting for him. 

“You look good like that,” Landry praised. 

“Thank you,” Alex said, his voice and his body quiet and still as he prepared for their scene. 

Landry moved to the side of the bed behind Alex. He ran his hand up Alex’s inner thigh, stopping just short of touching his lover intimately. “Have you thought about me spanking you?” he asked quietly. 

Alex nodded, forcing himself to stay still under Landry’s touch. “A lot,” he admitted, his cheeks red. 

“Tell me about it. I want to know how you fantasized it,” Landry said as he moved his hand to Alex’s outer thigh. 

Hesitating just for a moment, Alex let the memories of his dream flood over him. “You had me over your lap,” he said, haltingly. “And you were alternating between just touching me and spanking me,” Alex said, using only the words he had to describe what he’d imagined. 

Landry’s hand moved, pushing the hem of the shirt up to reveal one perfect ass cheek. He slid his hand across the smooth skin, caressing it. “Touching you like this?” he asked.

“Yes,” Alex whispered. He could feel his cock filling just from the anticipation and Landry’s light touch. 

Repeating the motion, Landry pushed at the shirt again, this time to reveal all of Alex’s beautiful ass. He rubbed his hand over the firm curve, caressing it and giving it a slight squeeze. “I have another question for you,” Landry announced quietly. “And you have to tell me the truth, understand?” 

Alex nodded, and then added “I promise.” He’d tell Landry anything if it meant he kept touching him. 

“Did you know what you were doing when you put that shirt on this morning?” Landry asked quietly. 

“No,” Alex answered honestly. “I just didn’t want to come to breakfast naked, and I forgot to bring something to wear. But now that I’ve seen your reaction…” he said, trailing off. 

“Now that you’ve seen my reaction, what?” Landry pushed.

“I can tell you like it. So I might do it more often,” Alex said. “That look in your eye… I want to see it every morning.” 

Landry smiled. His boy’s honesty was as much of an aphrodisiac as his sexy body. “I do like it,” he confessed. “And I like that you want to please me.” Landry rubbed gentle circles on Alex’s butt cheek then without any warning, he cupped his hand and gave his boy a firm smack. 

Alex jumped, startled at the sound, but he quickly realized he loved the way the slow warmth spread across his skin in the wake of Landry’s hand. 

Landry followed the slap with another one on Alex’s other cheek, pausing to admire the shade of pink it left across his boy’s pale skin. 

Moaning softly, Alex dropped his head down between his arms. The few times he’d been spanked playfully paled in comparison, the intensity of their connection made all the difference. 

Stepping back, Landry slipped off his pajama pants. He checked the side table for supplies, then crawled onto the bed. Landry positioned himself in a sitting position with his back against the headboard then took Alex by his arm to guide him to lay across his lap. 

“Next time I do this, I’m going to sit in a chair and make you balance across my lap,” Landry told him. 

“I trust you not to let me fall,” Alex said, shifting into place. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands so he stretched them out over his head and clasped his hands together. 

Landry pulled up the shirt again, leaving it bunched near Alex’s shoulders. He rubbed his hand over Alex’s ass then slapped him again, twice on each cheek in rapid succession. 

Alex squirmed, his heat in his skin rising. It was better than he’d hoped and he was greedy for more. 

Landry smacked Alex’s butt again, enjoying the way his boy was moving in his lap. “I’d like to tie you to one of these bedposts and spank you with a crop,” he crooned as he delivered two more slaps.

Alex wasn’t entirely sure what a crop was but he could make a pretty good guess. “I’d like to do that for you,” he murmured, his hips lifting up to ask for more. 

“Or a paddle,” Landry said as he kept his hits steady, alternating from one cheek to the other. “Would you like me to paddle you?”

“Yes,” Alex said immediately, although he was finding Landry’s hand to be just fine. 

Landry paused to rub and squeeze the red skin he’d caused with his spanking. “You’re going to think of me tomorrow when you are in class, squirming in your seat because your ass is sore,” he warned. 

Alex moaned again, having not thought about that. “That’s a bonus,” he said honestly, smiling even though Landry couldn’t see his face. 

Chuckling softly, Landry spanked a bit harder. “You _are_ a bad boy,” he teased.

“I thought I was your good boy,” Alex said, wiggling his butt just enough to tease Landry. 

“Good at being bad,” Landry answered with another firm smack. “And I like bad boys.”

Alex exhaled, the cumulative effects of the blows leaving his skin tender. “Bad boys that have to be spanked?”

“Yes,” Landry said with one last smack. He grabbed Alex by the arm and pulled him up. “Straddle my legs,” he ordered as he held him to keep him steady.

Alex swayed, his limbs shaky, but he moved into position. He looked up at Landry’s face, his eyes wide and dark as he ached with anticipation. 

Landry smiled, his hands sliding over Alex’s ass. The heat from his abused skin radiated against his hands. He watched Alex’s face as he gave his ass a slow squeeze. 

His lips parted, Alex whimpered softly as Landry’s fingers dug into his skin. “Feels good,” he murmured, making sure Landry knew how he was feeling. 

“Yes, it does,” Landry agreed as he gave Alex another squeeze. 

Alex worried his bottom lip between his teeth, holding back another moan that threatened to escape. 

“Can you get back on your hands and knees for me?” asked Landry.

Alex nodded. He wanted more, and he knew that Landry wasn’t through with him just yet.

Landry gave Alex’s ass another squeeze before he let him go. He watched Alex as he moved into position, kneeling on the bed. Landry pulled back the shirt which had fallen over Alex’s ass. He gave the red skin another pat as he knelt behind Alex. 

His focus on his breathing, Alex practically vibrated with anticipation. Each brush of Landry’s hand set him on fire. 

Leaning over to reach the table, Landry retrieved the lube and condom. He rubbed his slick fingers over Alex’s opening and pushed them inside him. Landry continued to rub and squeeze Alex’s sore skin as he prepared him, maintaining the hazy buzz he’d given his boy.

The spanking had made his skin hot and tight, and it made the stretch of Landry’s fingers that much more overwhelming. 

Landry spread Alex’s cheeks with his hands and rubbed the head of his cock against his hole. He squeezed his lover’s ass as he finally thrust inside him. 

Alex cried out with pleasure. He felt owned and used and it was everything he wanted. He tried to convey that to Landry even though he was completely without words. 

Setting a vigorous pace, Landry did not let up on his boy, taking what he wanted and giving Alex what he needed. The sound of skin slapping against skin was mingled with soft moans and grunts of pleasure.

Bending his elbows, Alex lowered his upper body down to the bed so that his trembling arms didn’t have to hold up. He arched his back, pushing his ass up in offering to Landry with each powerful thrust. 

Landry spanked Alex’s butt again as he fucked him. His thrusts were forceful and he alternated between holding Alex by his hips or smacking his already abused ass. 

Alex babbled words of pleasure and moans of aching need. His world had contracted into only the two of them, nothing else existed. 

Reaching around Alex, Landry began to stroke him as he moved inside him. His boy’s cock was rock hard as it slid over his palm. 

“Please,” Alex blurted out immediately, his hips jerking just from the light contact. It was all too much, and he didn’t trust himself to hold on. 

“Please what? Tell me what you want,” was Landry’s reply as he pumped Alex harder.

Alex focused, the waves of pleasure distracting him as he tried to speak. “I can’t hold on. Not this time.” 

“You can hold on for me,” Landry countered without slowing the pace. “Now tell me what you want.”

Alex took a deep breath but he was unable to stop the tremors that shook through his limbs. “I need to come,” he said, closing his eyes as the words came out. 

“Then come,” Landry replied, keeping his pace steady to take Alex over the edge.

Alex desperately hoped that was permission, but if it wasn’t it was too late. He was already flying, with no chance of coming back down until he was completely spent. 

Landry stopped thrusting, but stayed inside Alex as he clenched and trembled around him. He gave his boy the time to savor his orgasm then pulled out to begin fisting his own cock. Landry came with a soft growl, his cum painting Alex’s ass. 

Even as warm as his abused skin was, Landry’s seed still felt hot on his skin. Alex stayed perfectly still, just soaking in the entire experience. It was so much better than he’d ever dreamed it would be. 

Bending over, Landry pulled at the neck of the too-big tee shirt Alex was still wearing and kissed his back between his shoulder blades. “Lay down on your stomach,” he said softly as he helped lower Alex to the bed. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back,” Landry ordered as he slipped off the bed.

It always bothered Alex a little when Landry left him, even when he knew he’d be right back. He kept himself busy working his way down to his stomach and stretching out his muscles that protested every movement. 

Landry returned with a warm, wet washcloth and a jar of cream. “Just relax while I clean you up and put some of this on your ass,” he told Alex. “You are going to be sore tomorrow.”

“It will remind me of this, so it is all good,” Alex said, folding his arms and resting his head on them. His endorphins were running high, but he was sure at some point he’d crash and feel much more sore than he did at the moment.

“So spanking definitely ranks high on the list,” Landry said with a smile as he cleaned Alex’s ass with the washcloth, taking care not to rub the abused skin any harder than he had to.

“So far, yes,” Alex smiled. “I’ll tell you for sure tomorrow when I try to sit, but things are looking promising.” He was glad that they could talk about these things, having Landry check in with him made him feel safe. 

Landry rubbed the cream onto Alex’s bruised skin. “It wasn’t easy to restrain myself. You make the best noises when you’re really into it,” he grinned.

“You restrained yourself?” Alex asked, his curiosity evident in his voice. “What would you have wanted to do?”

“Keep spanking you until you begged me stop,” Landry replied, giving Alex’s butt a slight squeeze as he continued to apply the cream.

Alex was silent for a moment, thinking it through. “To stop because you were hurting me? Or because I needed to come?”

“More the latter than the former. Pain is one thing, but I would never want to injure you,” Landry replied. “But it does happen. You can understand now how it is in scene, when it goes fuzzy around the edges and you’re really into it. That’s why I keep telling you that you have to be careful.”

“I can see how that could happen,” Alex said softly. “Sometimes when we are together, I feel like I’d do anything you asked me, without even thinking about the ramifications.” 

Landry laid on his side, leaning on his elbow, his face close to Alex’s. “And that’s dangerous for both of us,” he said softly, smiling as he leaned in to kiss Alex.

Alex tilted into the kiss, reaching up to touch Landry’s face. “I just want to be good for you.” 

“And I want to be a good dom for you,” replied Landry. “Has it been what you were hoping it would be?”

“All that and more,” Alex said honestly. “I hit the jackpot when I found you.” 

“I don’t know about that,” Landry chuckled. “I was worried that I might not be the kind of dom you were looking for, since my style is more informal,” he told him. “I’d like to try something with you though, if you’re up for it. A formal scene, at a club. In a playroom.”

Alex turned fully onto his side, wanting to be able to look at Landry while they talked about this. “Okay,” he nodded slowly. “Will you talk me through how it will be different and what rules I need to follow? Not now necessarily, but before we do it?”

“Of course. And the only reason I am suggesting it is to expose you to other facets of the lifestyle. You need to experience different things to realize what you enjoy and what doesn’t really do anything for you,” Landry explained.

“I discovered today what ‘does it’ for you,” Alex teased, leaning in and giving Landry a kiss. 

Landry grinned against Alex’s lips as they kissed. “A begging boy with a red hot ass, he murmured playfully.

“Thank you for taking the time to explore with me,” Alex murmured into the kiss. 

“My pleasure,” Landry replied.

✬✬✬

Landry opened the door and smiled at Alex. He bent his head to give Alex a kiss as he entered the apartment, closing the door then winding an arm around his guest’s waist. 

“Hey,” Landry murmured. “Thanks for meeting me here before the munch.”

Alex smiled at the affectionate greeting. “Sure thing. It’s more comfortable for me to walk in with you anyway.” Being with Landry made him feel more part of the crowd… like he belonged. 

“Good.” Landry nodded before he released Alex. “I just need to finish getting ready,” he said as he headed toward his bedroom. “Come in here and talk to me while I find something to wear.” 

Alex followed Landry into the bedroom, not about to pass up a chance to see the other man at least partially naked. “How’s your week been?” They hadn’t seen each other in a few days, each of which had felt like an eternity to Alex. 

“Pretty good,” Landry replied as he disappeared into his closet. “How was your week?” he asked when he emerged with a black shirt and dark jeans in his hand. 

“Getting busier with each passing week of the semester. You know how that goes,” Alex sighed. “It’s nice to be here with you and take a break.” 

Landry stripped out of the faded tee shirt he was wearing and exchanged it for a tight fitting plain black tee. The sleeves were short enough to reveal the tribal tattoos circling his bicep. “Is it time for mid-terms?” he asked.

“Not quite. Those will be right before spring break.” Alex stared openly, the way Landry’s shirt fit was almost better than the bare skin, accentuating all of the right places. 

Shedding his lounge pants, Landry reached for the jeans, but frowned at them. “These are not the ones I want,” he muttered before turning to go back to the closet, giving Alex a prime view of his ass clad in a pair of tight black boxer briefs.

Alex leaned as Landry walked away, keeping him in sight as long as possible. “Speaking of spring break,” he said, finding it easier to ask while Landry was around the corner. “If you are going to be around maybe we can spend some time together.” 

Landry returned, a different pair of jeans in one hand and another black tee shirt in the the other hand. “Sure. When is that? Mid-March?” he asked.

“Second week,” Alex said, enjoying the front view. “Just let me know what you think your work schedule might be like and we can plan something.” 

“Okay. Shouldn’t be a problem,” Landry replied as he handed the other black tee shirt to Alex. “I bought this for you,” he said with a smile.

“So we’d match? I don’t think I can fill it out nearly as well as you do,” Alex laughed. 

“Yours is a little different than mine,” Landry said, his smiling turning into a mischievous grin. “And it’s a size small.”

“So you want it painted on me,” Alex said, taking the shirt. He took a look at the front of it and blushed furiously. 

“Tee shirts look better when they are fitted. Do you like it?” asked Landry.

Alex held the shirt up, but the phrase “I would bottom you so hard” didn’t change. “I like it…” 

“And . . .” Landry asked as he continued to grin at the younger man.

“And you’re sure you want me wearing this out in public? Seems like it might invite a lot of… interest from people you aren’t inclined to share with,” Alex said, turning the shirt around and holding it up to his chest. 

“I don’t want you to wear it in public. I want you to wear it to the munch. Tonight,” Landry explained cheerfully as he pulled on his jeans. 

“That counts as out in public,” Alex pointed out, even as he started to strip out of the shirt he was wearing. 

“You can wear your jacket until we get there,” Landry countered as he watched Alex take off his shirt. He took advantage of his opportunity as well, openly admiring his boy’s smooth chest, pink nipples and slender build.

Wiggling his way into the tight cotton, Alex made sure everything was smoothed out and then checked his reflection in the mirror. “I’m surprised you didn’t cross out “you” and replace it with your name,” he teased. 

Landry laughed. “It’s implied,” he said as he watched Alex. “Looks good on you.”

Alex met Landry’s gaze in the mirror. “I still say I don’t fill out a t-shirt like you do. Your arms are a thing of beauty.” 

“Thank you,” Landry replied with a wide smile and a flex of his biceps. “I need shoes,” he announced before going into his closet again.

“Are we expecting a big crowd tonight?” Alex asked, still staring at his new shirt in the mirror. 

“The usual group,” Landry answered from the closet. 

“They are starting to seem less intimidating,” Alex admitted. “I think they’ve gotten used to me.” 

“They like you,” Landry said as he re-emerged from the closet with shoes and socks. “And what’s not to like?” he smiled as he walked toward the bed. 

“I do think that sometimes they still see me as a kid though. Like they have to watch what they say around me or something. And maybe that’s all in my head.” Alex turned away from the mirror and focused back on Landry. “I need to get out of my own head sometimes.” 

“It must get really crowded in there,” Landry teased as he sat on the edge of the bed to put on his socks and shoes. 

“Yeah, pretty much,” Alex said, taking Landry’s teasing. “About the only time I can manage to make it all go quiet is when you have your hands on me.” 

Landry stopped mid-motion, Alex’s words catching him off guard. 

Alex smiled, noticing Landry’s reaction. “You can’t tell me that you didn’t know you had that effect on me.” 

Taking a breath, Landry finished with his shoes and stood up. “I know I can take you down, but I guess I didn’t entirely understand what that means for you.”

Alex stepped closer, and reached out to rest his hand on Landry’s hip. “I might be oversharing, but even when you aren’t taking me down, you are still a calming presence. I feel like I can breathe when I’m with you.” 

Landry slipped his hand around the back of Alex’s neck and pulled him close to kiss his forehead. “I’m glad that I can do that for you,” he said softly.

Alex closed his eyes briefly to savor the moment, and then pulled back. “You ready to go show me off?” 

“Absolutely. I’ll be with the hottest boy there,” Landry grinned. 

Alex started to make a self-deprecating remark, but managed to hold it back. Landry was proud of him, and he should be accepting of that. “And the hottest boy there gets to be with the hottest dom in the south.” 

“Now _that_ would be a great tee shirt,” Landry said, smiling and nodding his head.

✬✬✬

Landry took a drink of Coke and chewed on a piece of the crushed ice as he kept watch over the room. “Maybe that tee shirt was a mistake,” he admitted to Jules. “Alex is like catnip to every aggressive dom in the room and that advertisement on his chest is doing nothing to help that.” 

“You bought him that?” Jules said with a sideways glance. “Yeah that was just asking for trouble.” 

“I thought it was . . . cute.” Landry shrugged, keeping his eyes on his boy who was across the room with yet another dom.

“It is cute… if you are trying to get laid,” Jules laughed. “I wouldn’t worry though, he’s more than handling his own over there.” It was pretty clear the young man only had eyes for Landry, even if he was entertaining the attention of the others for the moment. 

“Everyone knows he’s with me,” Landry said firmly. He turned to look at Jules. “Right?”

“Everyone with any sense,” she reassured him. “But then again, sense goes out the window sometimes when there is a cute twink in a tight shirt,” Jules couldn’t help but add. 

Landry turned his attention back to Alex and sighed. “Don’t I know it,” he murmured under his breath before he took another drink of his Coke.

“I think it’s cute,” Jules said, finishing the last of her drink. “He’s enjoying himself. Let him have some fun.” 

“I let him have fun,” Landry responded, too quick and slightly defensive. “The irony of the situation is that he didn’t want to wear the shirt. I made him wear it.”

“Then you have no one to blame but yourself,” Jules pointed out, tapping her finger on Landry’s bicep. “Now I’m off in search of another drink. Either go claim him, or quit stewing.” 

“Claim him,” Landry huffed. “I already pulled that party trick once,” he murmured as Jules left him to pout alone. He kept telling himself that Jules was right - Alex was having fun. Landry knew that he was not inclined to share, but he had never thought of himself as overbearing. He looked over to where Alex was still standing, just in time to see David approaching him. 

“Oh, hell no,” Landry growled to himself as he was set into motion, crossing the large room in only a few steps. “Hello, David,” he interrupted, a fake smile plastered on his face. “Good to see you again. Mind if I speak to Alex for a moment. Thanks.” Landry looped his arm through Alex’s and tugged him away before David could even form a response to the abrupt intrusion.

Alex swayed at the sudden change, but Landry’s firm grip on his arm kept him upright. “Hey,” he said, trying to get a read on what was going on. “Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” Landry replied, fake smile still in place as they moved through the party. He guided Alex down the hall and into the bathroom, locking the door behind them once inside. Landry moved toward Alex, crowding him against the door. “I just needed to get you alone.”

“Okay…” Alex said slowly, his heart racing from the way Landry had him pressed against the door. “I didn’t mean to wander off. I just figured you wanted some time to chat with Jules.” 

“I had my eyes on you the entire time,” Landry said quietly. He lifted his hand to caress Alex’s cheek. 

“Good.” Alex looked up into Landry’s eyes. “I like being the object of your attention.” While it was fun to chat and even harmlessly flirt with some of the other attendees, there was no one there that could hold a candle to Landry as far as Alex was concerned. 

“You were. You are,” Landry smiled. “You were also getting a lot of attention from some other doms,” he pointed out. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” Landry said as he tapped Alex’s chest to indicate the tee shirt. 

“I told you that you should have put your name on there,” Alex said, wondering if Landry could feel how hard his heart was pounding. 

“You did,” Landry agreed. “My mistake. It’s on me. So I need to fix it.” He gave Alex a smile. “So take it off.”

“I don’t think going half naked will help the situation,” Alex pointed out, even as he worked the tight shirt up over his head. 

Landry took the shirt from Alex and draped it over a towel bar. “Don’t stop now,” Landry ordered, pointing to Alex’s jeans. “Off.”

Alex paused for a moment, a questioning look on his face. He trusted Landry, even when he was in full possessive mode, but he also wasn’t entirely sure where this was going. 

“Do you need some help?” Landry asked, one eyebrow raising as he met Alex’s inquisitive gaze.

Trying and failing to keep his hands from trembling, Alex shucked off his jeans. He kicked his shoes and the jeans aside and then looked back up at Landry.   
Landry smiled at Alex who was now standing in front of him wearing only his black boxer briefs. HIs boy was submissive, but he wasn’t a pushover. Landry understood Alex’s motivation for his slight defiance and he admired him for it. 

“Now do you really think I made you take off your clothes only to keep you in your underwear, darlin’?” Landry asked quietly.

Alex shook his head and hooked his thumbs into the elastic band on his underwear and pushed them down. The rational part of his brain knew that Landry wouldn’t make him do anything like going back out to the party naked, but the part of his brain in the moment couldn’t stop worrying about it. 

After Alex finished undressing, Landry lifted him up in his arms. Turning around, he carried Alex over to the bathroom counter, setting him down on it easily and moving between his dangling legs. 

“What did you think I was going to do to you?” Landry asked, his hands roaming over Alex’s skin. 

Alex wrapped his fingers around the edge of the counter, holding himself steady. “I didn’t know. And that threw me a little,” he admitted. 

“I didn’t like seeing you with those other men. Those other doms,” Landry told him, his hand sliding to Alex’s nape again and pulling him in. “I can tell they wanted you.”

“I don’t want them,” Alex assured him. “I only want you.” Landry’s hand felt strong and sure on his neck and the touch made him feel better. 

“And I want you. And I’m going to have you. Because you’re mine,” Landry stated plainly, pulling Alex in for a forceful kiss. He pressed against Alex, keeping him pinned on the counter as he wrapped his hand around Alex’s cock. Landry was relentless, kissing his boy until he was breathless as he fisted his cock. 

Alex forgot all about his earlier fear, pressing eagerly up into the kiss. The tone of Landry’s voice matched his words, and they both soaked into Alex’s soul, making him feel wanted and needed.

Landry finally broke this kiss, his lips brushing Alex’s jawline and down his neck, the sound of Alex’s staccato breaths in his ear. He kissed Alex’s neck he stroked him, then bit down on the tender juncture where his neck met his shoulder, reclaiming his boy and marking him as his alone.

Alex cried out, not caring that all that separated them from the others was a thin wooden door. In that moment he knew he belonged to Landry, utterly and completely. 

Landry pulled back to examine his mark then turned his gaze to Alex’s flushed face and dark eyes. “That’s better,” he said with a smile. He looked down, watching his hand as he worked Alex’s cock. “You look beautiful like this.” 

“You did this to me,” Alex said softly, feeling his hold on his mental clarity starting to slip. “Made me this way.” 

“I did,” admitted Landry with a nod of his head. “But it was in you, darlin’. I’m just helping to bring it out.” He slid his free hand under Alex’s leg when he remembered that they were not at his place and he didn’t have supplies. “Damn. I don’t have a condom,” Landry growled.

It was on the tip of Alex’s tongue to tell Landry that he didn’t care, but he bit that back in favor of a more rational suggestion. “Check the cabinets?” 

“Good idea. Our host wouldn’t mind if he knew how much I need to fuck you right now,” Landry said as he started opening cabinets and pulling out drawers. “Bingo!” he announced with a smile, holding up a square foil packet.

“Such an accommodating host,” Alex said, still breathing hard with anticipation. 

“The lube is not the best,” Landry said as he eyed the discount brand. “But beggars can’t be choosers.”

“Good thing we like it a little rough,” Alex said softly. He ached for Landry’s touch, and didn’t care how he got it. 

Landry paused just long enough to give his boy another hungry kiss. Alex’s simple statement enough to make Landry’s own cock twitch with excitement. He hurried to unzip his jeans, pushing them and his underwear down to his knees. Landry quickly rolled on the condom and turned his attention to getting Alex ready for him. 

The counter was cold and hard, and he was curled into the most uncomfortable position ever, but Alex didn’t care at all once Landry was touching him. Everything else went away. 

Handling Alex’s slight frame easily, Landry held him tight as he finally pushed inside him. He buried his face against Alex’s neck as began to thrust. He could hear his boy’s heartbeat and the sound of Alex’s heels as they banged against the cabinet doors with each push of Landry’s hips. 

Alex buried his hands in Landry’s hair, his hands resting right at the base of his skull. He trusted Landry to hold him, so he was free to touch. 

Landry took hold of Alex’s cock again, stroking him with the same power of his thrusts. “I want to hear you come,” he said, his voice breathless next to Alex’s ear.

Nodding so Landry would know he’d heard him, Alex pushed the thought of everyone else on the other side of the door out of his mind. Everything narrowed down to the moment, the way Landry’s cock stretched him open, the way his hand was strong and sure on his cock, and most of all, the way he willing gave everything he had to his lover. 

Slowing his thrusts, Landry stayed inside Alex, his hand still fisting his boy’s cock relentlessly. He wanted Alex to come, needed him to shatter into a millions pieces so that he could be the one to put him back together again. 

Alex whined softly when Landry stopped thrusting, his own hips jerking fruitlessly as he tried to get Landry to move again. 

Landry lifted Alex up, adjusting him on the counter, but he never stopped working Alex’s cock. He pushed deep inside him, holding him tight as his hand blurred between them.

Hooking his left leg around Landry’s hip, Alex pulled him even closer as he careened toward his peak. Pressing his mouth against Landry’s shoulder, he screamed through his climax, his entire body shaking from the violence of letting go. 

Slowing his hand, Landry held onto Alex as he trembled in his arms. He knew for certain that Alex hadn’t held anything back. 

As soon as Alex had his muscle control back, he pushed up on the counter enough to hold his weight. “Now you,” he said, needing Landry to feel as good as he did. 

Landry hooked his arms under Alex’s legs and pulled him to the edge of the counter as he slid back inside. He never took his eyes of Alex’s face as he pounded into him.

His eyes fixed on Landry’s face, Alex let the aftershocks of pleasure play across his features for Landry’s benefit.

Gasping and pulling Alex up and into his arms again, Landry pressed his face into Alex’s neck, groaning as he came. 

Alex slid his arms around Landry’s neck, hanging on tightly. He felt drained, but buzzed with pleasure. He was sure he was grinning stupidly, but he didn’t care. 

Landry pulled Alex into a slow, sloppy kiss, meshing his smile with his boy’s smile. “Okay, I think that’ll fix it,” he said, nipping at Alex’s lower lip.

“I don’t know if your possessive streak is ever truly satisfied,” Alex murmured. 

“Maybe. But it’s satisfied for now,” Landry replied. He helped Alex down from the counter, holding on to him until he was sure he was standing on his own. Landry disposed of his condom then pulled up his underwear and jeans, zipping them closed. He pulled Alex into another hug, holding the boy against him as he kissed his forehead. Landry tipped Alex’s head back to stare into his eyes. “How are you?” he asked, his tender tone countered with a smug smile.

“Floating,” Alex answered truthfully. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His hair was mussed, his skin flushed, and there was absolutely no hiding that he was freshly fucked. 

“Do you need to sit?” Landry asked, making no immediate move to let Alex go just yet. 

“No,” Alex said, confident his limbs would behave. “Everyone out there is going to know what you just did,” he smiled. 

“Yeah they are,” Landry said confidently.

“You like that, don’t you,” Alex teased. Landry’s pleased expression almost made up for the embarrassment he knew he’d feel. 

“It wasn’t the initial intent. Just a happy byproduct,” Landry explained, the smile still firmly planted on his face. “Let me help you get cleaned up,” he added as he turned to look for a washcloth without letting go of Alex. 

Alex let Landry tend to him, the gentle care helping bring him up out of headspace. “I do get my clothes back, right?” he laughed. 

“Of course. I didn’t like them talking to you wearing clothes. Imagine how I’d feel if you were naked.” Landry finished cleaning Alex with a promise of a long, not shower when they returned to his place that night.

Alex carefully bent down to retrieve his underwear and jeans. He was pleasantly sore, every movement would be a reminder of Landry for the rest of the night. 

When Alex reached for his tee shirt to put it back on, Landry stopped him. “Wait a sec,” he said as he took the black tee shirt with the enticing words in white lettering and turned it inside out before handing it back to Alex. “There. That’s better,” he smiled.

Smiling, Alex pulled the shirt back over his head. “Better,” he said, smoothing the cotton down over his chest.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to the readers who have left kudos and comments. We appreciate it! We are always so pleased to know that someone is enjoying our stories.

Alex carried his mug of coffee out onto the balcony and curled back up in the chair next to Landry. He was on his third cup, but who was counting? The morning was warm, a harbinger of spring, and Alex couldn’t think of anywhere he’d rather be.

“Did you ever decide what you wanted to do with the courtyard?” he asked. “You mentioned expanding the bar but you also said you were thinking about stairs up here. I’m guessing you wouldn’t do both or you’d have the drunks wandering up here,” he smiled. 

Landry laughed. “You’re right. It’s one or the other, but not both. The problem is that I’m covetous of the court yard and I don’t really want to share it. I’m leaning toward the staircase idea. And because there used to be one there anyway, it wouldn’t be a major ordeal to get approval from the historical society.”

“Do you feel like you need the space for the bar? Like is it too crowded in there?” Alex was still eagerly looking forward to his birthday, not just to visit the bar, but to get that first drink Landry had promised. 

“Not really. We seem to do fine without a courtyard bar area. In the summer, it’s usually too hot to sit out there anyway. And at night in the winter, it can be too cold,” Landry mused. 

“Then my vote is definitely to keep it for yourself. I love this bit of privacy right in the heart of everything,” Alex said, sipping his coffee. 

“Decision made,” Landry agreed. “I suppose if I were truthful with myself, I’d admit the reason for my indecision is because I’m not sure this is what I want. The bar, I mean.”

Alex tilted his head to look at Landry. “Long term you mean? I know you said you just kind of fell into it.” 

“I did. I was in a state of flux when a friend told me about the bar. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it took me away from what I had planned,” Landry explained. 

Alex stayed silent for a moment, hoping Landry would keep talking. He didn’t want to feel like he was quizzing him, but he longed to know more about what made Landry tick. 

“I’d just finished grad school and was preparing to start on my Phd and I think I was just burned out.” Landry was looking out over the courtyard as he spoke. “ Too much academia. Too many years spent in class studying the philosophies of other people without accumulating any experiences of my own.” He turned to Alex and gave him a sheepish smile. Landry had never told anyone his reason for leaving school and buying the bar; Alex was the first.

“And now with time and perspective? What is it you think you’d like to do?” Alex hoped he wasn’t intruding too far into Landry’s life. Despite the intimacy they shared in bed he knew there was still a distance between them. 

“I wanted to get my Phd to teach,” Landry replied. 

Alex smiled. “Professor Landry. I like the sound of that.” 

“Dr. Landry sounds better,” Landry grinned.

“We could always play doctor,” Alex teased. “Will Dr. Landry see me now?”

“Medical kink is a thing, you know. Did you see forceps on the list?” asked Landry.

“I think I did,” Alex said, trying to think. “There were a lot of things on there. I’m starting to be amazed by all the things people can make sexual.” 

“There’s a special playroom at the club for medical kink. Looks like an operating room with all the stainless steel and metal instruments,” Landry told him.

Alex shook his head. “I don’t know that I’d like that. I think I’m more on the boring side of kink if that is even a thing. Traditional I suppose.” 

“Traditional?” Landry asked as he leaned back in his chair. 

Alex blushed. “You know. Cuffs. Blindfolds. Spanking. Stuff they probably don’t have special playrooms for.” 

“Oh okay, got it. Is that something you would still be interested in trying out? A playroom?” Landry wanted to exposed Alex to different aspects of BDSM, other than the casual relationship they’d developed over the past weeks.

Alex used to the excuse of taking another drink of his coffee to give himself a moment to think. “Maybe?” he said finally. “Tell me how it is different than what we do here.” 

“Play rooms are usually for more formal scenes,” Landry replied. “I thought you might be interested in trying a more formal scene. To compare. It’s more structured. What we do is casual. You don’t call me Master or Sir. You don’t ask permission for everything. I don’t make you request everything you want or beg. Well, I do make you beg sometimes, but you know what I mean.”

Alex nodded. “So more like what you see on the internet and stuff when you are looking for BDSM information. Like kneeling and not making eye contact?”

“Yes. And not always as hard core as what you see on the internet either. I like tying you up, but I have no desire to suspend you from the ceiling with pins in your back.” The expression on Landry’s face was evidence of his distaste as he spoke. 

“Good,” Alex said softly. He’d marked no on the list where it mentioned blood, and he knew Landry would respect that. “I love what we do here,” Alex said, “but I can see where it would be interesting to experience that. Just to know.” 

“You really don’t know what you like or don’t like until you’ve tried it, don’t you think?” Landry asked. He wasn’t into formalities himself, but he didn’t want that to influence Alex. Landry had committed to teaching Alex about the BDSM lifestyle and he felt this was a big part of that. Alex’s next dom might be different and it would be good for Alex to know as much as possible so he would be able to make an educated decision. The thought of Alex with another dom wasn’t something that Landry liked thinking about so he pushed it aside and focused on the topic at hand.

Alex nodded again. “And I know you’d stop if I asked you to. I mean if I really didn’t like it or something.” 

“Absolutely. Safewords are key. And we can end the scene at any time. All you have to do is tell me,” Landry replied. “Pushing limits is not about hurting you. At least not for me.”

“I trust you,” Alex said, reaching out and squeezing Landry’s arm. “I want to try if you are willing to teach.” 

“Promise me one thing though,” Landry cautioned. “If you don’t like it, just be honest with me. I don’t want you to push on through just to finish. I know you are an achiever, but this is not about that, all right?”

“You know me too well,” Alex said. “But I will make you that promise. Knowing you, you’ll be keeping an eye on it too.” 

“I will,” Landry nodded. “It’s not a test and you don’t have to be good at it. It’s a preference. And even if you don’t like all of it, there may be some aspects of it that you do like.”

“So you’re grading on a curve?” Alex teased. 

Landry gave him a firm stare, his mouth twitching around the edges.

“I’m seeing the makings of a naughty school boy fantasy here,” Alex laughed. “Or a struggling college kid who is failing his philosophy class and is desperate to graduate,” he grinned. 

“I could make you wear a schoolgirl uniform with the little plaid skirt and white knee socks,” Landry threatened.

Alex’s eyes widened. “You are into cross-dressing? I wouldn’t have expected that.” 

Landry shook his head. “It isn’t cross-dressing. . . “ He started to explain, but found it easier just to sigh in defeat.

Alex finished his coffee and set the mug aside. “I’m just terribly annoying with all these questions, aren’t I?” he laughed. 

“Not annoying. Not exactly.” Landry smiled eventually. “But I do feel like I might be able to write the comprehensive encyclopedia of BDSM after some of our discussions.”

“You volunteered to teach me,” Alex pointed out. “Did you think it would be easy?”

“I’m not sure what I was thinking,” Landry admitted. “But I do know that David was wrong for you,” he added quietly.

Alex worried about the quiet tone Landry had taken on. “Do you regret it?” he asked finally, after his thoughts churned for a few minutes in silence. 

“No!” Landry said quickly. “Do you?” he countered, a frown wrinkling his brow.

“Not at all,” Alex said immediately. “I couldn’t ask for a better guide. I’m sorry if I overwhelm you with questions sometimes.” 

“You can ask as many questions as you want,” Landry assured him. 

“And when you want me to shut up, you know exactly how to do it,” Alex said with a sly smile. “You’ve done it a lot.” 

“I have?” Landry smiled. “How?”

“You turn me into an incoherent mess on a pretty regular basis,” Alex pointed out. “Or alternatively I’m sure you can find something to put in my mouth.” 

Landry burst out laughing. “My secret is out,” he said between laughs.

“Have I ever complained?” Alex smiled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. 

“No. But that may because you had something in your mouth,” Landry joked.

Alex couldn’t hold back, he burst out laughing. “I like things in my mouth,” he said, continuing the joke. 

Landry reached over to pull Alex closer. “And I like putting things in your mouth,” he grinned.

“Yeah?” Alex asked, letting Landry move him with ease. “What kinds of things?”

“Hard things,” Landry replied and he tugged Alex onto his lap. 

“Things that start out hard? Or things I get to make hard?” Alex asked, his voice going low and quiet. 

“Things that start out hard and you make them harder,” Landry murmured, his gaze dropping to Alex’s mouth where his thumb grazed his boy’s lower lip. 

Alex leaned forward just enough to suck Landry’s thumb into his mouth. He closed his eyes as he lewdly slid his lips up and down the length of the digit, mimicking what he hoped was to come. 

Landry watched the display, mesmerized by Alex’s lips wrapped around his finger. “Tease,” he said breathlessly.

Releasing Landry’s thumb, Alex opened his eyes. His lips were parted and his breathing elevated, his body already reacting to the beginning of their scene. He shifted his weight, moving slowly enough that Landry could stop him if he wanted, and started to slide down to his knees between Landry’s legs. 

Landry held Alex’s gaze as his hand moved to the string at the waist of his pajama pants. “You aren’t teasing now though. Are you?” he asked as he pushed his pants and underwear down enough to reveal his cock. 

Alex shook his head. He started to reach out for his prize, so tantalizing just out of reach, when he stopped and looked up, waiting for permission. 

“Go ahead,” Landry said, his chest rising and falling with his building arousal.

Alex wrapped his fingers around the shaft of Landry’s cock, gently stroking his fingers up and down. He could feel the response to his touch, Landry’s cock filling and fattening up. Scooting forward on his knees he took the head between his lips, licking softly just at the tip. 

Landry moaned, sliding his hand into the hair at the back of Alex’s head. The boy’s mouth was made for sucking cock - full lips and a talented tongue. 

Alex relaxed when Landry laid his hand on him. The warm weight of his hand was just enough to remind him that Landry was in control. He worked his tongue around the head of Landry’s cock, tracing the ridge at the crown over and over as he firmed up the strokes with his other hand. 

“That’s good,” Landry exhaled the words with another moan. He closed his eyes, immersing himself in the pleasure of Alex’s tongue.

Pleased with the praise, Alex slide his hand down to cup Landry’s balls, rolling them gently in his hand. Bending his head, he started to bob up and down, sucking Landry’s length into his mouth inch by inch. 

Landry gasped, his eyes flying open. He watched his cock disappearing into Alex’s mouth and began to squirm, quashing the desire to thrust deeper into the wet heat of the boy’s talented mouth. 

Alex took the movement as a good sign, and kept up a steady pace. He couldn’t quite take all of Landry, not positioned like this, but he took as much as he could over and over, hollowing his cheeks as he sucked. 

Pumping his hips with the rhythm of Alex’s pace, Landry wasn’t going to last much longer, but he wasn’t ready for this to end. “Stop,” he said, gently pulling on Alex’s hair. 

Alex groaned, but obeyed, bracing his hands on Landry’s thighs as he sat back on his heels. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, and his lips were swollen and wet as he looked up at Landry. 

Landry reached down, pulling Alex up to claim his mouth for a claiming kiss. “I’m going to fuck you,” he murmured against Alex’s lips. 

“Yes, please,” Alex said softly, finding that just as enticing as getting to take Landry to completion with his mouth. 

“Out here. On this balcony,” Landry explained. 

Even though they were secluded, it still gave Alex a thrill that they were outside. “Should I get supplies?” he asked, their lips still just millimeters apart. 

“Yes. In the table by the bed. Hurry back,” Landry rasped.

Alex pushed up and away from Landry, and went quickly inside. He shed his clothes as he went, leaving them in a pile in the bedroom when he returned to the balcony. The warm day felt cooler without clothes, and goosebumps rose up all over his skin. 

Landry had undressed and was lazily stroking his cock as he waited for Alex to return. He took the condom and lube from Alex. He rolled it on quickly and smeared the lube with a few more pumps from his fist. 

“On my lap,” Landry instructed. “No, this way,” he instructed when Alex moved to straddle his legs while facing him. “With your back to me,” he explained.

Alex did as he was told, resting his hands on Landry’s knees to try and balance. He could feel Landry’s cock against his ass and he couldn’t help but rock his hips to rub against it. 

Landry rubbed his slick cock between Alex’s cheeks, the tip catching on the rim of his boy’s hole. 

Moaning softly, Alex leaned forward. He transferred more of his weight to his hands, tipping his ass up just enough to push back against the head of Landry’s cock. 

Holding Alex’s hip, Landry guided his cock and slowly pushed inside him. 

Alex sighed as he sat back, his body protesting but yielding to Landry’s intrusion. He felt unsteady in this position, but trusted Landry’s hand on his hip to keep him from falling. 

When Alex was fully seated on his cock, Landry pulled him back against his chest. He held him tight as he began to move his hips again, thrusting into Alex. 

Gasping as Landry pulled him back, Alex moaned wantonly as he settled in to the new angle. He was at Landry’s mercy in the best way, his cock impaling him over and over. 

Landry altered their position, sliding his large hands beneath Alex’s thighs and gripping them tightly as he began to fuck him again with slow, deep thrusts. 

Alex let his head fall back against Landry’s shoulder as his hand drifted to his own cock. 

“That’s right. Work your cock as I fuck you,” Landry purred next to Alex’s ear. “Because you’re going to come with my cock inside you.” 

Alex arched with pleasure at Landry’s words, his body contracting around the other man’s length. He stroked himself slowly, not knowing how long Landry would make him wait. 

Landry maneuvered Alex easily, pulling him back on his lap as he pushed deeper with each thrust. He looked over Alex’s shoulder to watch as he stroked his cock. 

Feeling Landry’s eyes on him, Alex put on a show. He teased just the tip of his cock, his fingers tracing the slit, before making a fist and letting the momentum of Landry’s thrusts shove his cock up into the tight grip. 

“You’re not teasing me again, are you?” Landry said, his thrusts jagged and hard. 

“I might be,” Alex admitted. “I want to make it good for you,” he gasped out, his body jerking each time Landry’s cock slid across his prostate. 

“It is good for me,” Landry replied. He pressed his lips against Alex’s shoulder as he continued to move inside him. 

Alex started to respond, but it was too much effort to form words. His body tensed, walking that precipice of needing to come but holding back until he was allowed. 

“Do it. Let go,” Landry growled against Alex’s shoulder. 

With permission granted, Alex sped his hand just enough to push over the edge. His toes curled with pleasure as he came, Landry’s cock still pushing deep inside him. 

Landry slowed his thrusts as Alex clenched around him. He waited for Alex to relax in his arms before warning him to hold on. Landry began thrusting again, using his boy to finish. 

Alex was sated, his body yielding completely to Landry. He whimpered softly, not in pain, just from the friction against his sensitive parts. 

After only a few more thrusts, Landry came. He held Alex tight enough to break him but then finally relaxed as his climax waned. 

Sagging back against Landry’s chest, Alex struggled to catch his breath. 

Landry kissed Alex’s shoulder again as he held him on his lap. “Well, that was fun,” he smiled. 

“That’s definitely one word for it,” Alex said, the gentle breeze on his damp skin causing him to shiver. 

“We should go inside,” Landry said when he felt Alex’s response to the cool air. He helped ease him off his lap, holding him steady until he could stand up and walk him back into the apartment.

Alex let Landry direct him inside, still in that haze where he liked Landry being in control. “I’ve never had sex outside before,” he admitted. 

“A first. We probably should have waited until June though.” Landry scooped up Alex into his arms and carried him the rest of the way into the bedroom. He put him on the bed and laid down beside him, covering them both with the bedspread. 

“Too hot then,” Alex smiled, snuggling up against Landry. “Today was just perfect.” 

Landry put his arm around Alex and held him close, his hand gliding up and down his boy’s arm. “Yeah, it was,” he agreed.

✬✬✬

Landry held the door of the club open for Alex to go in before him. It was darker inside and it took a moment for Landry’s eyes to adjust. 

“I made a reservation for a playroom so let me go check-in at the desk, okay?” Landry explained.

“Okay,” Alex nodded. He let Landry guide them while he used the opportunity to look around. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but from what he could see it reminded him a little of an upscale hotel. 

Landry approached the receptionist’s desk with a smile. “Hello. The name’s Landry. I reserved a standard playroom,” he said. The woman behind the counter returned his smile and checked him in quickly and efficiently. She handed him his key with a few added instructions. Landry thanked her and returned to Alex who was still looking around. “I would offer to buy you a drink in the bar before we go back, but we both know that wouldn’t be a good idea,” he grinned.

“I’d still argue that my fake works well,” Alex smiled. “But I don’t think I want a drink before we do this.” While he knew it might calm his nerves, he wanted to be fully alert for what was to come.

“Good point,” Landry replied as he put his arm over Alex’s shoulders and led him down the hallway. “Don’t be apprehensive. Remember, it’s not a test, it’s just a new experience,” he said in encouragement. 

“And I can stop things any time,” Alex said, parroting back Landry’s earlier words. They’d talked about it at length before they came, and Alex felt completely comfortable. But even so, there was a heaviness in his stomach, and he wasn’t sure if that was anticipation or concern. 

“Yes. All you have to do is say stop or red,” Landry said as they stopped in front of a door with the number 3 on it. “Ready?” he asked with a smile. 

“Just a second,” Alex said. He pushed up close to Landry and pulled him into a kiss. When they parted, he said softly, “Ready.” 

Landry smiled, slipping an arm around Alex again as he unlocked the door with his free hand. He pushed open the door then reached inside to search for the light switch on the wall. Landry flipped the switch and the room was illuminated with a soft glow. He guided Alex inside and closed the door behind them, locking it by pushing in the lock on the doorknob and sliding the other bolt lock into place. 

Alex stayed in place, but his eyes furiously darted around as he tried to take everything in. There were several things he could identify from seeing them online...a bondage cross, a spanking bench, a hanging rack of floggers and crops...but there were also things he’d never seen. 

“Do you want to look around a bit first?” Landry asked as he watched Alex’s face. 

“Yes, Sir,” Alex said, staying still until he was given permission. 

Landry placed his hand on the back of Alex’s neck and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Go ahead. And you can ask questions,” he told him. Landry moved toward the large metal bed in the center of the room and took a seat so that he could watch Alex explore. 

Alex watched Landry for a moment, and then started to move around the room. He ran his fingers across the various pieces of furniture. They felt cold and clinical under his touch, even though he could tell they were custom and made with care. 

He moved over to the large cabinet against the wall, and after checking with Landry and getting a small nod, he opened the various doors and drawers. Some of what he found reminded him of what Landry had said about medical kink, and the plugs of various sizes - some even larger than his fist - made him remember one of their earliest conversations about dilation. 

When he was satisfied that he’d at least seen everything in the room, even if he didn’t know what it was used for, he came back to the center and stopped in front of where Landry sat on the bed. “Thank you, Sir,” he said, keeping his eyes lowered to the floor. 

“You’re welcome,” Landry replied. “Are you ready to begin?” he asked as he got to his feet again. 

Alex nodded, but then remembered he was supposed to speak. “Yes, Sir.” He carefully sank down to his knees and rested his palms on his thighs.   
Landry smiled and ran a hand through Alex’s soft hair. “I knew you would do your homework,” he said. “While you’re down there, unlace my boots for me. And don’t worry, I’m not going to make you worship them,” he added lightly.

A tiny smile quirked at Alex’s lips as he reached out and undid the laces on Landry’s black boots. He was glad that even within the formality of the scene, Landry’s personality came through. 

“You look good on your knees. But you are wearing too many clothes,” Landry commented. “I want you to undress. Entirely. You can put your clothes on that table.” He pointed at the table near the door that lead to a bathroom. 

Alex stayed on his knees as he stripped out of his shirt. He set it aside while he worked open his jeans. Rocking up to his feet he pushed his jeans and underwear down in one motion and then kicked them both off along with his shoes and socks. He carried the pile of clothes to the table and then returned to his spot at Landry’s feet. 

Landry had removed his boots and the shirt he was wearing, leaving him in a black wife-beater undershirt, faded jeans and black sock feet. He admired the way Alex was presenting himself so effortlessly, despite being naked and in an unfamiliar environment. Landry took hold of Alex’s upper arm, pulling him up as he said, “On your feet.” He led him over to the spanking bench. “Do you know what this is?” asked Landry.

Alex tried not to stumble as they moved, thrown off balance by Landry’s long strides. “It’s a bench...that you spank people on? Like bent over it?” 

“That’s right. I want you to bend over it,” Landry told him. “Knees here,” he said as he showed Alex how to arrange himself over the bench. “Hands there,” Landry continued. “I’m going to fasten the cuffs around your wrists and ankles,” he explained.

Settling himself into position, Alex shivered as the cold leather pressed against his skin. Once he was bent over he couldn’t see Landry and had to rely just on his voice and the soft rustle of his movements. 

“Are you comfortable?” Landry asked as he let his hand glide over Alex’s back. 

“Yes, Sir,” Alex said. The cuffs were a familiar sensation, and that helped settle his brain. 

Landry ran his hand over the curve of Alex’s ass then without any warning, he gave it a sharp smack with the palm of his hand. 

Alex jumped, not from the intensity of the slap - Landry had spanked him harder the last time they played - but just from the nervous energy he’d built up and the surprise.   
“It’s customary to thank your dom for his attention,” Landry said softly before delivering another smack to Alex’s ass. 

Alex silently cursed himself for messing up already. “Thank you, Sir,” he said. He was already finding that he needed to keep his attention much more focused than normal, rather than just letting go and floating. 

Landry turned away to go examine the options of floggers and crops hanging in display on the wall of the playroom. He selected a flogger with soft leather fronds and returned to Alex. “I want you to count each hit,” Landry told him. 

“Yes, Sir.” This time he was ready, the blow wouldn’t take him by surprise. He could still feel the warmth from the smack of Landry’s hand, and he knew his skin was probably pink. 

Landry ran the flogger over Alex’s skin so he felt the soft leather strands of the flogger dragging across his skin. He lifted the flogger and struck.

Alex was surprised that something so soft could sting so when force was applied. “One,” he said, after taking a deep breath. 

“Good,” Landry praised softly before he landed his second blow, admiring the pink stripes of skin it produced. 

Alex counted the blow, the heat in his skin radiating out from his ass. The pain was different from a spanking, but the glow of warmth that spread through him felt the same. 

Landry made two more strikes, alternating them on both cheeks. “How many of these do you think you can take?” he asked after Alex had counted the last two.

Taking a moment to steady his breathing, Alex couldn’t help but wonder what the right answer was. “Ten, Sir,” he said, hoping that was enough to please him. 

“Good boy,” replied Landry. He was proud of Alex for responding with a reasonable number. Landry had worried that his overachiever might push himself too hard despite Landry’s best efforts in warning him not to. He landed two more blows with the flogger. 

Alex counted, a slight tremble in his voice when he said “six.” He wished he could see Landry’s face, he didn’t realize how much he’d miss seeing the pleasure he was taking from this. 

Landry ran his hand up Alex’s back to the nape of his neck. He gave his boy an encouraging squeeze. Landry struck Alex’s ass with the flogger four more times to complete the goal.

The touch was just what he needed to sail through the last four blows. He thanked Landry after the last count, hoping that was the right thing to do.

“You’re welcome. You were very good. And your ass is as red as a tomato,” Landry told him as he gave one of Alex’s butt cheeks a slight squeeze. 

Alex couldn’t help but smile at the imagery. “I’ll think of you tomorrow when I can’t sit down, Sir.” 

“Yes you will,” Landry agreed, knowing that Alex’s ass was going to be even more sore before their “scene” was finished. He leaned over to unfasten the cuffs around Alex’s wrists and ankles then helped him to his feet, keeping him steadied with an arm around his waist. “I want you to get on the bed now. Hands and knees, facing the headboard,” Landry instructed.

Alex appreciated having Landry to hold on to, his legs felt stiff from being held so tightly in the restraints. After a few steps he was more sure, and he positioned himself on the bed with no trouble. 

Walking around to the headboard, Landry instructed Alex to take hold of the metal bar at the top. He clicked a pair of fur-lined handcuffs around each wrist, linking it through the headboard. Landry smiled at Alex who was watching his every move. “Did you enjoy your spanking?” 

 

“Yes Sir,” Alex said, he didn’t lower his eyes, taking the fact that Landry was looking at him for his response as a sign he wanted to see his face. 

Landry reached through the metal rungs of the headboard to rub his thumb over one of Alex’s nipples, teasing it to hardness. “Good,” he replied softly, giving the nipple a tug before releasing it. 

Alex moaned softly. He tested the cuffs, finding that Landry had only given him the tiniest bit of slack. Whatever the other man had planned, Alex was going to have to take it. 

Landry walked to the cabinet for more supplies then climbed onto the bed behind Alex. He knew the boy’s curiosity must have his mind spinning, but he admired how composed Alex had remained during the first part of their scene. 

“Have you ever used a butt plug?” Landry said as he squeezed some lube onto his fingers then rubbed them against Alex’s hole. 

The cold lube startled him, but the cuffs held him tightly in place. “No, Sir,” he said with a slight shake of his head. “Just the….the dildo that you used on me.” 

Landry held up the butt plug so that Alex could see it. “I’m going to fill you up with this,” he warned. “So you won’t feel empty while I’m doing other things to you. Landry gave Alex’s abused cheeks a firm squeeze them returned to preparing him to take the plug. 

A wave of arousal washed through Alex and his could feel his cheeks flush. “Thank you, Sir,” he said quietly, trying to keep from shaking with anticipation. 

Rubbing more lube onto the plug, Landry pressed it against Alex’s opening then slowly pushed it past the tight ring of muscle until it was firmly inside. He reached between Alex’s legs, caressing his balls and giving his cock several firm strokes. “How does that feel?” Landry taunted.

“Big,” Alex answered honestly. “Unyielding,” he added after a moment’s search for the word. The hard rubber was much different than flesh and it stretched him in a different way. 

“You like it big though, don’t you?” Landry teased with his words as he teased Alex with his slow strokes. 

“Yes, Sir,” Alex said, his breath catching from Landry’s teasing touch. He wanted to add “when it is you,” but he kept that to himself. 

Landry patted the plug as he continued to work Alex’s cock. 

Moaning softly, Alex started to work his hips in time with Landry’s strokes. He worried a little about where things were going, but it felt too good to stop. 

Stopping as quickly as he’d started, Landry released Alex and left the bed. He walked around the headboard, unlocking the handcuffs. “On your back,” Landry ordered. “Hands above your head and your wrists here” he said as he lowered the handcuffs. 

The abrupt change left Alex reeling, but he managed to flip over into position without too much trouble. His chest was heaving slightly as his body ached for the lost touch. 

Landry cuffed Alex’s wrists to the headboard again then moved to the side of the bed. He reached over and tweaked Alex’s nipple with one hand as he used the other to stroke his cock. “You look good like this. Laid out like a present.” 

“A gift for my Sir,” Alex said quietly, Landry’s words tugging him down into a little of the headspace that he craved. He hadn’t noticed until just then that he wasn’t feeling it like he usually did. 

“My gift. To use as a I please,” Landry said as he continued to tease and stroke. “You want to please me, don’t you?” 

“I do. That’s all I want,” Alex said, his back arching up slightly as Landry’s touch pushed him higher. 

Landry stopped his teasing and stepped back. He watched Alex as he undressed, taking his time and enjoying the way his boy looked on the bed as he waited for his return. 

Alex had to fight to compose himself when Landry stepped away, and only the fact that Landry stayed in his sight line as he undressed kept him from being completely overwhelmed by the sudden stop. He squirmed against the restraints, his cock bobbing helplessly against his stomach. 

“That is a very pretty sight,” Landry said as he finished undressing. He crawled onto the bed again, but this time he straddled Alex’s chest. Landry smiled down at him as he rubbed the head of his cock against Alex’s lips. 

Opening his mouth obediently, Alex was careful not to lean up and take the initiative. He knew he was to stay still, not matter how tantalizing it was to have Landry’s cock so close. 

“You won’t be able to talk,” Landry warned him. “So if you want me to stop, kick your legs. Understand me?” 

“‘Yes, Sir,” Alex said, his voice strained with anticipation. He knew he wouldn’t need to stop, this was something he loved. 

Landry pushed his cock past Alex’s lips, sliding in then pulling back slowly at first. He set a steady rhythm with shallow thrusts which allowed Alex to adjust and start breathing through his nose. Landry braced himself with one hand gripping the metal rung on the headboard; he used the leverage to keep himself balanced and his thrusts steady.

Alex balled his hands into fists, letting the cuffs take the weight of his arms. He concentrated on his task, knowing that Landry was just letting him adjust and there’d be more to come. 

Slowly, Landry ramped up the force of his thrusts, pushing in deeper as he fucked his boy’s mouth. He watched Alex’s eyes staring back at him and kept his awareness on alert for any sign that he needed to stop.

His eyes watering, Alex took everything Landry was giving him. He could feel Landry’s attention on him like a laser, and he he felt safe in that space. Every bit of his senses was filled with Landry, his taste, his smell, his touch. He was consumed by it. 

Landry murmured his praise as he continued to use Alex’s mouth. “You’re taking it all,” he said as he pushed deep and held himself there for a moment before moving again. 

Alex practically glowed with the praise. His throat was sore and he was growing a little lightheaded from taking shallow breaths, but he was doing it….and he was proud. 

“You’re gonna make me cum,” Landry rasped as his thrusts became shallower, but faster. 

Closing his throat around the head of Landry’s cock each time he thrust, Alex did everything in his power to push his Sir over the edge. 

Landry moaned loudly, his hips jerking as he came. He thrust deep and held as he spilled his release down Alex’s throat.

Alex held perfectly still, enjoying his hard fought reward. He swallowed over and over, not spilling a drop. 

Pulling out, Landry wiped Alex’s swollen lips with his thumb and smiled. “Did you like that?” he asked quietly. 

“Yes, Sir,” Alex said, his voice hoarse. “Did your boy make you proud?”

“He did,” replied Landry. “I think he deserves a reward,” Landry added before moving back and positioning himself between Alex’s legs. He tapped the plug in Alex’s ass and smiled. “But this stays in. Even when we leave.”

Alex let that sink in, and his entire body trembled. He wanted to ask so many questions, but they’d talked about how in a formal scene that wasn’t his place. He pushed those to the side and refocused on being a good sub. “Yes, Sir.” 

“You’ll have to wait for that reward. And so will I, because your mouth rendered me useless at the moment,” Landry explained. “But you’ve been a good boy, so I’m not going to make you wait all together.” He took hold of Alex’s cock and began to stroke him with one hand, squeezing his ass with his other hand. The skin was warm against Landry’s hand from its earlier abuse.

The pain from his ass only heightened the intensity of Landry’s hand on his cock. Alex moaned and arched his back, far too close to the edge for comfort after everything that had happened. 

“Does that feel good?” Landry asked as he kept his strokes slow and steady. 

“Yes, Sir,” Alex gasped out, squirming and twisting against the cuffs. 

“You have a nice cock,” Landry praised, his voice steady and even as he continued to work his boy’s length. “Pink and slender and a nice size. It feels good in my hand. Does my hand feel good on your cock, boy?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Alex said, biting his lip and he tried to keep things under control. In his desperate state he forgot to say “Sir,” adding it belatedly when there was a long silence. 

Landry leaned over, his face inches from Alex’s. “Do you want to come?” 

“Please, Sir,” he blurted out without a second’s hesitation. His body was as tight as a string, and it threatened to snap at any moment. 

Pulling back, Landry tapped the plug again. He watched Alex’s face for his reaction to the additional stimulus.

Alex’s eyes widened, both from the way the plug shifted inside him and the fear that he’d lose control. 

“Come for me, Alex,” Landry said softly. 

The words weren’t even complete before Alex went screaming over the edge. The cuffs bit painfully into his wrists as he contracted with the force of his orgasm. 

Landry continued stroking as he watched the gorgeous display of Alex’s climax. The boy was truly beautiful when he came - his dark eyes blown wide, his pale skin flushed with need, his slender body covered with a sheen of sweat. 

Alex managed to fix his eyes on Landry’s face. He could see pleasure there that he hoped was from watching his boy come. He smiled up at him through the haze of endorphins. 

Releasing Alex’s cock, Landry leaned over again, this time to kiss him. “Good boy,” he whispered with a smile before pressing his lips against Alex’s.

Pressing up into the kiss as much as he could within the confines of his restraints, Alex felt a bit of that connection that he’d been missing return. 

“You did great,” Landry said. “I would have never known this was your first formal scene.” He kissed him again. 

“Thank you, Sir,” Alex said softly, not knowing if they were still in scene. 

“I’m going to uncuff you now,” Landry said before he left the bed. He unlocked the handcuffs and removed them from Alex’s wrists, gently rubbing the area that was red from Alex struggling against his restraints.

Alex loved the way Landry took care of him, and was glad to see it happen even in a formal scene. “Bruises?” he asked, turning his head to look at his wrists. 

“Yeah, probably,” Landry said with an apologetic frown. “Even with the fur lining, you were pulling pretty hard.” He lifted each wrist to his mouth and gave it a gently kiss.

“I like the bruises, Sir” Alex admitted. “They remind me of what we did.” 

Landry smiled and nodded, understanding Alex’s reply completely. “You don’t have to call me Sir now,” he said. 

“Okay,” Alex said with a soft smile. “I wasn’t sure if the scene was over.” 

“We had our happy endings,” Landry grinned. 

“We did, but I know that scenes can be more than that,” Alex said. “And there is still something filling me up,” he pointed out. 

“That’s for later.” Landry’s grin turned sly. “The scene may be finished but we’re not.”

“Is that a promise?” Alex grinned back. 

“Absolutely,” Landry answered.


	10. Chapter 10

Landry lifted the edge of the duvet that had fallen over Alex’s face as he slept. He smiled, admiring how peaceful Alex was when he was sleeping. A direct contrast the energetic young man he was while awake. Landry tapped Alex’s nose gently. 

“Time to rise and shine,” he said.

Alex’s eyes flew open in surprise, but then he smiled when he saw Landry’s face. “Morning already?” he asked, stifling a yawn. 

“7:30,” Landry replied. “I’m thinking of making pancakes,” he added.

“That’s worth waking up for.” Alex stretched his arms up over his head and flinched slightly as his muscles protested. 

“Sore?” Landry asked. He sat down on the bed by Alex, his hands going to his shoulders to gently massage them. 

“Yes,” Alex said, shifting onto his side so Landry could reach more of his back and shoulders. “But good sore. Happy sore.” 

Landry chuckled softly as his large hands gently squeezed and kneaded Alex’s strained muscles. “Happy sore? Does that mean you enjoyed yesterday?” he asked.

“I always enjoy scening with you,” Alex said. He closed his eyes as Landry’s hands worked at the knots in his back. “I’ll admit it felt different yesterday, but it was still good.” 

“Different how?” Landry asked as he used his thumbs to massage pressure points down Alex’s back.

Alex tried to think through how to express his feelings. “You know how I usually get super...fuzzy? Like headspace wise?”

“Yes,” replied Landry.

“That didn’t happen. It’s not that it didn’t feel good, or that I didn’t have some of those same kinds of feelings like I usually do, it’s just…” Alex paused. 

“It didn’t happen as easily?” Landry offered.

“Yeah. Or at all really. I don’t know why.” Alex hoped Landry would understand that it wasn’t anything that he’d done wrong. 

“Do you think it was because you were hyper aware of doing everything right in a formal scene?” Landry moved his hands back up to Alex’s shoulders.

“Maybe.” Alex thought it through and realized Landry might be right. “Or just the different location. Maybe I didn’t feel as comfortable as I do here?”

“Well, to be fair, the majority of your experiences have been casual. You may prefer that because it is comfortable. A known factor,” Landry said.

Alex curled forward, urging Landry’s hands down toward his lower back. “Can I ask you something?”

“No. Because you know I never answer your questions,” Landry replied teasingly as he dragged his fingers over the sensitive area of Alex’s sides. 

Alex smiled, despite the seriousness of their topic of conversation. “Did it feel different for you?” 

“Yes, it did feel different. I’ve done enough of those types of scenes to know that I prefer a more casual arrangement,” Landry replied. “Like you said, it was good. Fun was had by all and we both got off, but it’s not my preference. It’s like two roads to the same destination. I just prefer the scenery on one road more than the other.”

“I knew it would be different,” Alex said, slowly straightening back up and then turning over so he was facing Landry. “I just didn’t expect it to be that different. Right down to the way you touched me. I was surprised I guess.” 

“The way I touched you? Expound.” Landry reached up to brush away a lock of Alex’s hair that had fallen over his forehead.

“It wasn’t as…” Alex groped for the right word. “Intimate, I guess. As what we do here. Or maybe that was in my head because I was trying so hard to please.” 

“I don’t think it’s in your head. It is more intimate here,” Landry agreed. “I think of the formalities as a protective layer, a layer that I don’t feel I need to lead the lifestyle I want.”

“Yes, that’s it,” Alex smiled. “A protective layer. It was like having a scene with this buffer between us.” 

“I don’t mean to criticize formal play, a lot of people are definitely into it,” Landry clarified. “But different strokes, right?”

“Right. And what we did was definitely hot. Especially that whole straddling my chest and fucking my mouth thing,” Alex said, his cheeks burning just from saying the words. 

“You liked that, did you?” Landry grinned, reaching over to caress Alex’s blush with the knuckle of his finger. 

“Yeah,” Alex said, ducking his head. “And I’m not opposed to the toys you used either. I think I just want you to use them on my here.” 

“That can be arranged,” Landry said softly. He touched Alex’s chin and lifted his face up. “You aren’t normally this shy. Do you find it hard to talk about what you like or don’t like?

“A little. I’m still not used to this being something that’s normal to talk about. I spent a long time very carefully _not_ talking about it.” Alex made himself look Landry in the eye as he spoke. 

“I can understand that,” Landry nodded. “Like most things in life, it gets easier with practice.”

“I like going down hard for you,” Alex said, still struggling with the words but finding it easier with each passing sentence. “I like the way it feels, and I like that it means I’ve given control over to you.” 

“I like it, too,” Landry agreed. “ It means that you trust me. And that’s the most important thing in a relationship like this.”

“I’m glad you did that for me...taking me to the club I mean. You were right that I needed to see it and experience it. Learn from it.” Alex smiled and then shifted forward to give Landry a kiss. 

Landry wrapped his arm around Alex to keep him close for another kiss. “You’re a fast learner,” he said. “Part of that achiever thing.” Landry grinned.

“I have an excellent teacher,” Alex said. “One who gives me back rubs and makes me pancakes after a lesson.” 

“Oh, right. Pancakes,” Landry smiled. “It’s just the box stuff, that okay?” 

“That’s just fine. Do you want help or do you want me to stay out of your way?” Alex asked. 

“You stay here and relax. Not that you’d be in my way. I just want you to get some more rest before you have to leave,” he explained. 

Alex kissed Landry’s shoulder and then tugged the duvet back up around his chin. “You know how to spoil me.” 

“Next time, it’s your turn to make breakfast while I stay in bed,” Landry said with a smile as he stood. 

“Deal,” Alex promised. “I’ll keep the bed warm for our after breakfast activities,” he teased. 

“Washing dishes?” Landry asked, his eyebrow arching.

“Ooo, kinky,” Alex laughed. “If that’s what gets you off…” 

Landry laughed out loud as he left the bedroom. 

✬✬✬

Landry carried a large box of glassware behind the bar and set it on the counter. He opened the cardboard box then pulled out of the glasses to examine. 

“What’s happening with our glasses? This is like the second new case this month,” he asked Jules as he began to unpack the box. 

“I think the supplier is cheaping out on us,” Jules said, hopping up to take a seat on the bar next to the box. “Seems like just the slightest tap and they shatter. Maybe we should look at other options.” 

“I still have the estimate from the supplier who does custom designs. It might not be a bad idea to invest in some take-aways, especially since most of our customers are tourists.” Landry finished unloading the box and set it aside to load the glasses into the dishwasher. 

“Definitely worth looking into. If we do a custom order they might be willing to give us a deal on some bulk plain ones as well.” Jules watched Landry work for a moment, trying to decide whether to say something or keep her mouth shut. As usual, her curiosity won out. “I saw you were on the schedule for Saturday night. Your boy out of town?”

“No, he has some school thing he can’t get out of,” Landry answered absently as he finished with the glasses. He reached for the box and began tearing it down. 

Noting that Landry hadn’t corrected her use of the term “boy,” Jules pressed on. “He seems to have settled in at the munches. Getting along with everyone.” 

Landry nodded, a slight smile playing at his lips. “Yeah, he has. He’s a little shy at first until he gets to know you.”

“Last time I saw a lot of doms that looked like they wanted to get to know him,” Jules pointed out. “You better get a collar on him if you want to keep the sharks out of the water.” 

“What?” Landry jerked around, the corner of the box catching one of the glasses and knocking it to the floor where it smashed into pieces. “Damn it,” he growled, pushing the box aside again so he could take care of the broken glass. 

“Don’t act so surprised,” Jules chided. “It was pretty damn obvious that you dragged him into the bathroom to stake your claim as soon as he got some attention. You’re clearly in deep with that one.” 

“He’s still learning. I didn’t want him confused by someone else right now,” Landry defended as he opened the cabinets in search of a hand broom and dustpan. “That’s what I’m doing, Jules. He wanted to learn and I’m teaching him.”

Jules knew Landry well enough to know that when he got defensive, there was no use in pushing further. “Far left cabinet,” she said, pointing to the right door. 

“He’s a college student. The last thing on his mind is a committed relationship,” Landry continued as he squatted down to sweep up the glass. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t take something like a collar lightly,” he added, a hint of indignation in his tone.

Jules held up her hands in mock defeat. “I get it. It’s not that kind of relationship. Sorry.” 

Landry straightened and looked at Jules. “It’s not. I like him a lot. He’s a great . . .” he hesitated for the right description. “Guy. Intelligent. Good sense of humor. Obviously sexy. He’ll be a great sub.” Landry’s voice became quieter as he continued. 

“Just not right for you.” Jules made sure not to form that into a question because she didn’t expect Landry to answer. 

“Yeah, that, too. I’m too old for him,” Landry agreed as he emptied the dustpan into the trash can. 

“I forgot,” Jules smiles, easing back into teasing Landry. “We’re still in the mourning period from your birthday.” 

Landry gave her a steely glare. The smile on his lips was the only evidence that he was not genuinely displeased. “Don’t you have some work to do?”

“I’m sure I do. But this is more fun,” Jules grinned. 

“ _This_ being what?” Landry challenged.

Jules laughed. “Getting you all riled up.” 

“Maybe later you can do some more fun things. You can go to the zoo and poke a gator or something.” Landry waved his hand dismissively before he turned to leave. 

“Why would I go to the zoo when I have a crabby gator right here,” Jules muttered, hopping down off the bar. 

“I heard that!” Landry said loudly over his shoulder as he disappeared up the stairs.

“You were supposed to!” Jules called back. 

✬✬✬

Alex texted Landry to let him know he’d arrived, and waited patiently for him to come down to escort him through the bar. His shoulders sagged under the weight of his bag. It was still loaded down with books - he’d come right from the library, not wanting to waste the time it would take to stop at home. Midterms started on Monday but he wasn’t willing to give up his weekend with Landry.

“Hey there,” Landry said in greeting. He reached out to take Alex’s bag for him. “Wow, what’s in here? A load of bricks?” he smiled. 

“Close enough,” Alex laughed. “Books. I came right from studying for midterms.” He followed Landry through the bar, waiting to talk again until they were in the relative quiet of the stairwell. “I wanted to get as much done as possible before I came over.” 

Landry waited until they were in his apartment before he replied. “It’s all right if you need to cancel. I know school comes first,” he said softly. In the better light, he could see the shadows under Alex’s eyes, evidence of the late nights he’d been putting in for his upcoming tests.

“All work and no play makes Alex a dull boy,” he pointed out, his eyes sparkling despite the weariness. 

Laying Alex’s bag in a chair, Landry smiled as he approached him. “But the way we play can wear you out more than work,” he pointed out. “It’s important to get some rest.”

Alex slid his arms around Landry’s waist and craned his neck back to look all the way up at the taller man. “I can’t have it both ways?”

“Not if you want to do either of them well,” Landry replied, reaching up to bop Alex on the tip of his nose. 

“I feel bad that you gave up your evening only to have me show up like this,” Alex said, tilting to rest his forehead against Landry’s chest. 

Landry wrapped his arm around Alex, his hand in the hair at his nape. “I’m sure you didn’t know that you’d be exhausted. I know you, you don’t give up,” he said as he massaged Alex’s neck. Landry could feel the tension there; he knew the younger man needed to rest. 

“I’ll have plenty of time for sleep next week,” Alex pointed out, even though he already knew Landry would win this discussion. 

“Why don’t you just stay here and hang out with me?” Landry suggested. “We can watch a movie and just veg on the couch. That way, I can be sure you are resting and not overdoing.”

Alex looked up and smiled. “Is there an ulterior motive of making sure I get to bed early so I’ll be rested and ready to play in the morning?”

“There could be,” Landry smiled. 

“Then it’s a deal,” Alex said, releasing his grip on Landry. “Why don’t you get us set up. I need to hit the bathroom and then I’ll grab us some drinks.” 

“Nothing with caffeine,” Landry advised with a smile as he watched Alex head toward his room. He was genuinely concerned about Alex. Landry knew quite well how driven the younger man was and how focused he could be. He turned on the television and sat on his couch, his long legs stretched out in front of him as he began to stroll through the channels. 

Alex freshened up and then grabbed their drinks before joining Landry on the couch. He tucked his legs up under him as he sat down, right at Landry’s side. “Anything good?”

“Depends on how you define ‘good’,” Landry smiled as he gave the remote control to Alex. “Find something you’re interested in.” 

“That’s a lot of responsibility,” Alex said, as he started working his way through the channels. “How was your week?” he asked. They’d jumped right in to how Alex had been and had completely skipped over Landry. 

“Good. The usual,” Landry replied. He watched the television screen as his hand went to the Alex’s back. “I’m glad the weather is warming up.”

Alex settled on one of the superhero movies that always seemed to be in endless repeats on cable. Just enough to hold their interest, but not something that needed to be followed intently. “It felt like spring when I was walking over here.” 

Landry rubbed circles on Alex’s back, but stopped when he realized what he was doing. “Sorry, sit back. You need to relax.” 

“No, keep going,” Alex urged. “It’s relaxing.” He would have never asked for it, but now that Landry’s hand was on him he didn’t want it to go away. 

Moving his hand to Alex’s shoulder, Landry squeezed the tight muscles he felt there. “You hold a lot of tension in your neck and shoulders,” he said quietly.

Alex set the remote down and shifted slightly to a better angle for Landry. “Probably from hunching over a book or laptop...or both all the time.” Landry’s hand was warm, and he could feel the tension release as he worked each of the knots in his neck. 

Landry massaged Alex’s neck, shoulders and back until the boy was limp and visibly drowsy. “Here,” he said as he sat back into the couch. “Lay down and you can use my leg as a pillow,” Landry suggested.

Shifting over willingly, Alex laid his head in Landry’s lap and stretched his legs out along the couch. He abandoned all pretense of watching the movie, and laid on his back where he could look up at the other man. 

“It’s harder to watch the television when you’re not looking at it,” Landry smiled. 

“I’m entertaining myself by watching you watch the movie,” Alex said. 

“But I’m not watching the movie. I’m watching you watch me,” Landry pointed out.

“That’s very meta,” Alex pointed out with a laugh, his sleepy brain finding it hilarious. 

Landry moved his hand to trace Alex’s smile with his finger. “I’d rather watch you than the movie.” 

Alex’s smile broadened. “I like watching you watch me,” he murmured around Landry’s finger. 

Leaning over, Landry pressed his lips to Alex’s. The kiss was slow and lazy, just like an evening spent on the couch.

Alex relaxed into the kiss. He knew Landry wasn’t trying to move them into a scene, and he could feel that difference in the connection. He enjoyed just experiencing the moment, rather than anticipating what was to come. 

Landry pulled back, smiling softly when he looked at Alex. “Sorry, but you looked like you needed a kiss.”

“I’ve been told I have very kissable lips,” Alex smiled. “By someone I trust very much.” 

“He wasn’t lying. You do have very kissable lips,” Landry agreed before kissing Alex again to emphasize his point. 

Alex reached up to touch Landry’s face as they kissed. He felt relaxed and happy, which after the stress of the week was exactly what he needed. 

Landry elevated the kiss, his tongue delving deeper and he pulled Alex closer. 

Letting Landry’s strong hands support him, Alex sat up and turned into the kiss, finding that position more comfortable. He draped his arms around Landry’s neck, gently raking his fingers through the other man’s hair. 

Pulling Alex closer, Landry dragged him onto his lap as they continued to kiss. His hand slid beneath Alex’s shirt, eager for the feel of warm skin.

Alex straddled Landry’s thighs, enjoying the way Landry’s hands felt against his skin. His earlier fatigue was gone, the adrenaline from his arousal taking over. 

Landry moved to kiss Alex’s neck, his hand running up his thigh. He felt Alex’s erection when he pulled him close again for another kiss. “We should move this to the bed,” Landry murmured against Alex’s lips. 

Alex nodded. He scooted back off Landry’s lap and turned off the television. He offered Landry his hand, helping him to his feet and then letting him lead the way. 

Turning as they neared the bed, Landry pulled Alex into his arms. He kissed him again, this time gently and slow. Landry tugged at Alex’s shirt, pulling it up, then over his head. He brushed his thumb over Alex’s nipple, loving the way it hardened beneath his touch. 

Alex watched Landry touch him and smiled at the way his body responded. He unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans and slid out of them, kicking them aside and then tossing his socks and underwear on to the pile. 

Landry pulled Alex into his arms, kissing him again as his naked body pressed against him. He moved Alex to the bed then stepped back to undress. Landry held the younger man’s gaze as he slowly undressed.

Alex stepped backwards and sat down on the edge of the bed as he watched Landry. Even though nothing had been said, Alex still felt a difference in what was happening. It was good though, and he didn’t plan on stopping to question it. 

Stepping in front of Alex, Landry pinned him against the bed as they kissed again. He took his time, enjoying the easy tenderness. Landry pulled down the bedspread and sheets and crawled in, sitting with his back to the large headboard. “I want you on my lap. Like we were on the couch,” he told Alex. 

Alex crawled up on the bed and settled into Landry’s lap. The position evened out their height difference and made it it easy for Alex to lean in for a kiss. 

They kissed and touched for a long time. It was distinguishably different from the way they usually had sex. There was urgency, but it was tempered with a need to explore and enjoy and be in the moment. Landry tugged at Alex’s hair, pulling his head back to expose the long angle of his neck. He took his time kissing and sucking the tender skin enough to make Alex moan. 

Alex let his hands roam across every inch of Landry’s torso, his fingertips tracing the lines of his muscles as they shifted beneath his skin. They both, out of an unspoken agreement, avoided touching either of their cocks, prolonging the foreplay and exploring more deeply than they ever had before. 

Landry’s hands glided over Alex’s hips to knead and squeeze his ass. “I want you like this. Facing me. Riding me,” he whispered before kissing Alex again. 

Alex murmured his agreement into the kiss. When they parted for air, he leaned over to grab the lube and a condom. “Get me ready for you?” he asked softly, pressing the tube into Landry’s hand. 

“Lean forward,” Landry said when he was ready, slick fingers rubbing against Alex’s hole then pushing inside. He held Alex close and kissed his parted lips as he worked him open. 

Pressing against Landry’s chest, Alex scraped his teeth across the other man’s lower lip as their kiss intensified. Landry’s fingers were strong and big as they pushed in and out but Alex knew they paled in comparison to what was to come. 

Landry pressed the condom into Alex’s hand. “Put it on me,” he told him. 

Alex’s hands trembled, but he took a deep breath and steadied himself. He discarded the foil and then carefully rolled the thin latex on, stroking Landry’s cock as he settled it into place. 

Pulling Alex in for another kiss, Landry whispered as he pressed the head of his cock against his boy’s hole. “Go slow.” 

Alex kissed Landry soundly and then pulled back. He reached his hand around behind him to guide Landry’s cock. He slowly sat back, staring into Landry’s eyes as he went so the other man could see every flicker of pleasure that passed across his features. 

Landry stared at Alex as he sank down on his cock. He coveted every nuance of his expression and it was like seeing his lover for the first time. They’d had sex many times, but this was different, more intimate, and Alex’s pleasure was more the goal than his own. 

Groaning as his ass came to rest flush against Landry’s hips, Alex just stayed there for a minute, just letting his body adjust. “You feel good inside me,” he said softly, leaning in for another kiss. 

Landry held Alex close, continuing to kiss him as he began to thrust slowly. The soft sounds Alex made against his mouth as he moved inside him were addictive and he wanted more.

Alex pinched his knees in tighter, giving him just a little more play in his hips. He rotated just a bit as Landry moved, circling his hips with each thrust. 

Moaning softly, Landry was struck with the way they moved together, each giving as much pleasure as they were getting. It had always been that way with them, from the beginning, with their first scene. In that moment, Landry realized that he’d never had that connection with any of his lovers, only Alex. Landry also realized that he was in love with Alex. 

Alex felt Landry go still and he tilted his head back just an inch. “Okay?” he asked softly, his hips still rocking gently back and forth. 

“Yeah,” Landry rasped when he began to move again. “It’s perfect,” he murmured.

Working his hand between their bodies, Alex started to stroke his own cock. He kept his touch light and his pace slow, feeling no particular need to rush toward the end. 

Landry kissed Alex’s shoulder, holding him tight as he continued to thrust inside him. They were making love. The intimacy of the moment was so much more than casual sex. 

Alex pressed his open mouth against Landry’s neck, burying his moans there as the rhythm of their coupling drove the waves of his arousal higher and higher until they threatened to break. 

Pressing his lips against Alex’s skin, he felt the moans his lover made as they vibrated through his skin. His fingers tightened on Alex’s hips as he pushed harder, deeper, taking his lover where he needed to be. 

“I’m close,” Alex whispered, his head tipping back as he tamped down on a swell. He held tightly to Landry’s arms, steadying himself as Landry bottomed out over and over. 

“Wait for me,” Landry said without thought as he looked at Alex. He kept thrusting, his moans mingling with Alex’s. “Now,” he rasped, his fingers digging into Alex’s skin as his body jerked with his climax.

The realization of what Landry was doing, and then the feel of it actually happening completely unraveled Alex. His entire body shook with the force of his orgasm, the strength of Landry’s arms the only thing keeping him upright. 

Landry buried his face in Alex’s neck, panting and breathing in his lover’s heady scent. The realization that he loved Alex was still spinning in his brain and he had no idea what to do or how to process it. 

Alex collapsed forward, and wound his arms around Landry’s neck. His entire body felt like jello, and he knew he’d sleep long and hard that night. 

They remained wrapped in each other’s arm for a long moment, Landry gently rubbing Alex’s back as he held him close. He wondered if Alex had noticed the difference? Landry suddenly felt guilty, like he had a secret, one that he wasn’t going to be able to share.

Feeling something in Landry’s silence, Alex shifted back so he could see the other man’s face. He searched it for meaning, but didn’t press, not wanting to spoil the intimate moment. 

“You okay?” Landry asked, not meeting Alex’s eyes as he deflected what was happening between them. 

“Okay is underselling it a bit,” Alex smiled. He slowly shifted up and off of Landry’s hips, carefully disposing of the condom. 

Landry shifted, arching his back away from the headboard before stretching out on his side. He pulled the sheet and bedspread up, leaving a spot open next to him for Alex. 

Alex settled into the space Landry had made and curled up under the covers. He could already feel the fog of sleep creeping up over him and he surrendered to it, feeling safe and cared for in Landry’s arms. 

It was long time before Landry fell asleep. He laid there in bed, holding Alex, as he thought about how he’d got to that point without even realizing it was happening. Unfortunately, no matter how much he thought about it, Landry had no answers. He only had one truth - he loved Alex.

✬✬✬

The last week had been a long one. Landry hadn’t seen Alex all week because of his midterm exams and he’d filled the time with endless contemplation about Alex and his recent realization that he loved him. His thoughts had run the gamut about the boy and their relationship, but in the end, he believed he was left with only one course of action. 

At the end of the week, Landry knew he’d be hearing from Alex and decided to contact him first. On Friday afternoon, he sent Alex a text. 

_Surviving midterms?_

Alex felt his phone vibrate in his pocket but he was in the middle of an exam. He managed to keep his curiosity at bay until he was done and the first thing he did when he left the room was check his texts. 

_Barely,_ he texted back, adding a smile emoji. _Just finished up._

 _Can you meet me for a coffee later?_

_Absolutely. When/where?_ Alex frowned slightly as he walked back toward his apartment. They hadn’t seen each other in a week and Landry wanted to meet in public? For coffee? He tried to put that out of his mind and focus on getting to see Landry again after his week from hell. 

_The place we liked on Royal. At 4. See you there?_

_Ok. See you later._ Alex shoved his phone in his pocket and jogged across the street. 

Landry arrived at the coffee shop early and selected one of the tables near the window. He didn’t order a coffee; he wasn’t sure his stomach could handle it. He had a strange jittery feeling like he was waiting for a job interview or preparing to give a public speech. Either of those seemed simpler than what he was going to do when Alex arrived. 

Alex couldn’t help but smile when he saw Landry through the window. He waved, but Landry evidently couldn’t see him through the reflections in the glass. He ducked inside and went right to the table. “Hey,” he said as he slid into the chair opposite Landry. 

“Hey,” Landry replied with a tired smiled. “So you made it through?” he asked. The tone of his question revealing it instantly as small talk. 

“I did,” Alex smiled. “Thanks to coffee, Red Bull, and Monster drinks. I might have been slightly behind in my preparations, but I’m all caught up now.” 

Landry nodded as he stared at Alex across the table. Alex’s confession about his school work seemed like a voice in the back on his mind urging him on to do what he had to do. 

“You’re probably wondering why I asked you to meet me here,” Landry began. “I need to talk to you . . .”

Something dropped in the pit of Alex’s stomach. Had any good conversation ever started with those words? “Ok,” Alex said softly, his hands gripping the edge of the table. 

Landry exhaled slowly; he was sure that everyone in the coffee shop could hear his heart pounding. “There’s no easy way to say this so I’m just going to say it. I think we should stop seeing each other.”

Alex felt nauseous. His exhausted brain entertained the thought that maybe he’d fallen asleep and now he was having a crazy dream. “Stop seeing each other?” he repeated dumbly. 

Nodding, Landry leaned back in his seat as if trying to put some distance between them already. “You wanted me to help you learn more about the lifestyle and I think I’ve done that. I think it’s time.” 

Alex felt himself struggling to take a deep breath, like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. “I thought we agreed that something like this meant making a commitment to each other.” 

Landry nodded again. “We did. Another reason it’s time. We need to move on. I said communication was important, too. That’s why I’m saying this now.”

Alex wanted to fight. He wanted to scream and shout and force Landry to tell him what was really going on. Because while he didn’t know what that was, he knew that Landry wasn’t being truthful with him. “Time to move on,” he repeated softly, refusing to let the tears that pricked at the corners of his eyes show. 

“Yeah,” Landry replied wearily. “We knew going into this that it’s only temporary. You have a lot of changes ahead with school and your schedule.” He sighed softly. “I think it’s time.”

Looking down at his hands, Alex was surprised at just how white his knuckles were from his death grip on the table. Forcing his hands down to his lap, he pushed away the part of himself that wanted to throw a fit and kept his grownup side in charge. He nodded even though he didn’t agree in the slightest. 

“You’re going to be a great sub,” Landry told him, although the thought of Alex with another Dom made his stomach twist into a knot. “You’re great,” he added.

Alex pushed his chair away from the table. _Not great enough evidently,_ he thought. “Thank you for agreeing to teach me,” he said as he stood up. 

Landry was surprised when Alex got to his feet. He wanted to ask him to stay, but that would defeat his purpose, no matter how much he hated what he was doing. Landry stood up, too. “You’re welcome,” was all he could manage to say in reply. 

Alex stayed rooted to the spot for a moment, part of him still waiting for Landry to cave and say it was all a joke. When the silence stretched between them he nodded and picked up his bag. The one he’d packed with enough clothes for the week in the hopes that he’d be staying with Landry for his break. “Goodbye Landry,” he said as he turned to leave the shop. 

“Bye,” Landry replied as he watched Alex go. He had made many mistakes during his life, but in that moment, he was certain this was the worst of them all. 

✬✬✬

Alex sat and stared out at the river, the murky churning water a metaphor for his turmoil. He’d wandered up to the Moon Walk and settled on a bench, not trusting himself to walk around in a stupor for fear he’d step in front of a crazy driver in the Quarter while he was distracted. 

Landry’s dismissal had come out of the blue and he spent hours on the bench, dissecting every moment of their brief relationship for clues or signs he might have overlooked. But try as he might he came up empty handed. 

Once darkness fell he worked up the effort to head home, his packed bag a lead weight on his back. He tried not to focus on what he could have done differently to be good enough for Landry, but his mind just wouldn’t stop obsessing. It was going to be a long week.

✬✬✬

Landry cursed loudly as the new, unopened bottle of rum hit the floor and shattered into a million pieces. He shook his head in defeat and pushed the box of bottles further onto the counter. Landry made his way carefully through the broken glass scattered on the floor to get the broom and dustpan. His shoes were certain to smell like Bacardi for eternity. 

Jules went in search of the crash, wondering if she was going to have to fire the new stock boy. “Third one this quarter,” she mumbled, stopping short when she rounded the corner. “Landry?” 

“Yeah. I dropped a bottle of rum,” he admitted as he bent to begin the clean up. “Careful. There’s glass everywhere,” he warned as Jules moved closer. 

Bending down to help, Jules took a good look at Landry. “You look like shit,” she said frankly, never one to pull punches. 

“Thanks,” Landry replied sarcastically. “Way to kick a guy when he’s down. Literally.” He looked over at Jules and managed to cut his finger in the process. “Fuck!” Landry squealed. 

“Ok step away from the glass,” Jules ordered, standing up and pointing to the sink. “Wash out that cut and let me take care of this.” 

“I made the mess, I should clean it up,” Landry argued even as he did as Jules instructed and went to the sink. “At least it’s the kind of mess that’s able to be cleaned up,” he muttered as he ran cold water over his cut.

Jules retrieved the dustpan and started to sweep up the wet glass. “Unlike your personal life?”

“Yeah,” Landry answered without looking at Jules.

“I figured,” she said, dumping the glass into the trash can. “You’re suddenly on the calendar for weekend shifts again, and I haven’t seen him in over a week.” Jules returned the dustpan and broom and grabbed the mop. 

“Never could get one past you,” Landry said as he turned off the water. “Where are the Band-Aids?”

“First-aid kit is on the wall in the stockroom. Right where you installed it after we got dinged by the health inspector.” Jules knew she shouldn’t needle him when he was hurting, but sometimes the only way to get through to him was by force. 

“I forgot. Shoot me,” Landry mumbled, shooting Jules a steely-eyed look before turning to go find the first-aid kit. He returned a moment later, finger bandaged, but the same frown on his face. “Thanks for cleaning up,” Landry said when he saw that Jules had finished.

“You’re welcome. You ready to talk about it?” Jules asked, grabbing a glass and tilting it toward him questioningly. 

Landry nodded. “There’s not much to say though,” he added before sliding onto one of the bar stools as Jules poured him a drink.

“And why’s that?” Jules pushed the drink across the bar and then made one for herself. 

“He’s gone because I’m the one who broke it off,” Landry admitted before he took a long draw on his drink. 

Jules shook her head. “You really are an idiot.” 

Landry rolled his eyes and sighed. “Tell me something I don’t know,” he retorted.

Frowning, Jules studied her friend. “So if you know that, why did you do it?”

“Because I’m not what he wants. He wanted a teacher. So I taught him. He doesn’t want a lover,” replied Landry.

Jules raised her eyebrow. “Is that really what you think?” 

“It’s what I know. He told me at the start. He had some time before school started to get busy and he wanted to use it to learn more about kinky sex. That’s why I turned him down at first.” Landry took another sip of his drink. 

“It may have started that way,” Jules said, tapping a finger on the bar, “but I saw the way he looked at you. And, if I’m being honest, the way you looked at him. That was more than a casual fling.” 

“He’s young, Jules. He’s just having fun. What twenty year old do you know who wants a commitment like that?” Landry countered. “He didn’t argue when I broke it off. Because he knew it was best, too.”

Jules watched Landry for a moment. She could see the pain there, and it had been obvious over the past week that things just hadn’t been right. “I have a feeling it wasn’t for the best. For either of you,” she said, her voice uncharacteristically soft. 

Landry stared straight ahead unable to meet his friend’s gaze. “I screwed up. But I tried to make it right for him.”

“I don’t think falling for someone who is perfect for you is screwing up, but then again I’m not you,” Jules said. “I just think you might want to reconsider.”

“Reconsider?” Landry asked, turning to look at Jules. “I didn’t tell him it was over because I wanted to. I told him because I love him and I want him to have what he needs, but that’s not me.”

“You broke up with him because you were in love with him?” Jules asked incredulously. “That might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” 

Landry shot Jules another steely look. “Thanks. Glad we talked,” he said as he pushed away from the bar. 

“You needed to hear it,” Jules said, standing her ground. 

“Yeah, and like most things I’ve needed lately, it sucks,” Landry replied as he walked away.

“Good talk!” Jules called after him and shook her head as she downed the rest of her drink.


	11. Chapter 11

Landry slowly awakened, the light in the room was dim so he knew it was still early. He was half asleep when he rolled over in bed, reaching for someone who was no longer there. When all he felt was cool sheets and an empty pillow, the realization hit him like a knife in his chest. 

Alex was not there. 

He was not there because he had pushed him away. 

Landry groaned aloud and rolled onto his back, rubbing his face with both hands. He had made his fair share of mistakes in his life, but this was quickly proving to be the worst. Telling Alex they shouldn't see each other any more had been the worst decision he'd made, even worse than leaving school and buying a bar. 

He loved Alex. And he'd been happy with Alex as his boy. It had been so natural and easy with the young man who asked dozens of questions and gave him everything he had, every time. 

Landry fell for Alex before he’d realized it. And he'd made the mistake of pushing Alex away before he'd really thought it through. He told himself he was doing the right thing for Alex because he did love him and Landry wanted him to be happy. He'd convinced himself he was being selfish and he was holding Alex back for his own needs and not his boy’s. But that's how Landry still kept thinking of Alex, as his boy.

He knew it would be hard to give up Alex, but he hadn't bargained for the emptiness he felt without him. And not just an empty bed. Landry was certain that a piece of himself was now gone, too. Maybe the best piece of him. 

Landry let out a roar of frustration and threw the empty pillow across the room. He heard the ripping sound of the fabric as the pillowcase tore, but it was nothing compared to the torn feeling he'd endured since the day he broke with Alex. 

Jules was right. He was an idiot. 

✬✬✬

Landry was right. The young man at the end of the bar was definitely staring at him. He stared back at the attractive blond who shyly looked away but then quickly looked back. Yep, definitely checking him out. 

He was fair with light colored eyes. Unlike Alex who had dark hair and equally dark, expressive eyes. 

Landry shook his head and focused on finishing the drink order he was making. Would he do that forever? Compare everyone to the boy he'd pushed out of his life? 

He tilted his head and sipped his drink as he continued to watch Landry at work. He seemed content to be quiet and to wait. Alex would have had him over there and asked him a dozen questions in the same amount of time. 

Landry missed Alex’s questions. 

What the hell - Landry hadn't been with anyone since . . . well, since the day he'd made the biggest mistake of his life if he was being truthful about it. Landry walked over to the young man who had been watching him. He smiled. Landry smiled. They talked. Landry took him upstairs when the bar closed. The sex was hollow. 

He wasn't Alex. 

✬✬✬

Alex stood at the window of his apartment. There was a hazy film on the glass, dirt from the last few times it rained and whatever else floated around in the air. He reached down and tugged the sill up, the frame protesting with a screech as the old painted wood gave just enough to let the window go up. A breeze of warm fresh air rushed in, and it was startling to realize how stale everything in his apartment had become. 

He looked around the room with a critical eye. There were dirty dishes strewn about, and stacks of books and notes covered every horizontal surface. His bedroom floor was indistinguishable from the sea of clothes, both clean and dirty and that never seemed to find their way to the hamper or the closet. 

The last three weeks had passed in a blur. He’d gone out almost every night, college parties finding no need to wait for the weekend. He’d missed more classes than he could count, probably more than the entire rest of his college career combined. He was spiraling downward but at least he was having a hell of a ride. 

As he stood at the window and let the fresh air wash over him, he realized that what he’d been doing wasn’t helping. The pain was still there. He could numb it temporarily but it always returned. And what he was sacrificing for that temporary relief wasn’t worth it in the long run. 

With determination, he opened the rest of his windows wide and turned on his music. He might not be able to put his life back together in a day, but he could at least put his apartment to rights. 

 

✬✬✬

Alex checked the time on his phone. 12:05 am. He took a deep breath and stepped up to the bouncer and handed over his ID. 

The imposing man looked it over under the beam of his tiny flashlight and then looked up and smiled. “Happy Birthday,” he said as he handed it back and stepped to the side.

Alex thanked him and went inside. It felt odd to turn toward the bar rather than heading directly for the stairs. He stood out of the way until his eyes adjusted, all the while scanning the figures that moved about behind the bar for one that he’d know anywhere.

He was in luck. Landry was tending bar. He told himself that didn’t mean anything. The universe wasn’t trying to tell him something. Alex hoped he could believe. He slid onto a barstool at the part of the bar that Landry seemed to be working, and waited. 

Landry gave his customer his change and turned to the next person to the left. The familiar face caught him by surprise and he smiled widely. 

“Alex! What are you doing here?” he asked. The customer who he had just waited on interrupted him before Alex was able to answer. He wanted another drink and apparently he didn’t feel he had to wait his turn for it. “One sec,” Landry told Alex as he hurried to get the other man’s drink and get rid of him for good. 

Alex watched Landry work. He was a little overwhelmed by what it felt like to be back in Landry’s presence. The way he moved was so familiar, his voice just the way he remembered. 

“Sorry about that,” Landry apologized when he returned to stand in front of Alex. He looked at him and smiled again. “It’s good to see you.”

Alex smiled. It had taken so much courage to come here, he was glad not to be dismissed out of hand. “You said you’d buy me my first legal drink. So here I am, if the offer still stands,” he said.

“It’s your birthday?” asked Landry. “I didn’t even think to ask how you got past Lou,” he grinned. 

“I think Lou might have let me pass anyway,” Alex smiled, knowing the man had gotten used to him showing up. He pushed away the thought that Landry might have told him not to let Alex come up any more when he’d broken it off. “But I did it the legal way.” 

“You better let me see your ID anyway. Just to be sure,” Landry teased as he leaned in closer over the bar. 

Alex dug his license out of his wallet and slid it across the bar. He’d imagined this night so many times, rehearsing what he’d say, planning how Landry might react. But now in the moment it was clear that was all a waste, as life always had a way of going differently than you’d planned. 

Landry looked at the driver’s license and nodded. “Looks legit. The offer of your first drink still stands, so what’ll you have?” he asked, still staring and smiling at Alex. The bar was a cacophonous riot around them, but Landry only had eyes for Alex. 

Alex stared into Landry’s eyes for a moment, instantly transported back to better times. “Surprise me,” he said as he managed to break eye contact. “Bartender’s special.” 

“Okay,” Landry nodded again. “This is the Paradox bar so I’m going to make you the house drink, The Meaning of Life,” he said. “You okay with rum?” he asked as he reached for one of their tall hurricane glasses. 

“I like rum,” Alex confirmed. “So how have you been?” he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. 

Landry hesitated as he reached for the white rum and Blue Curacao, but quickly regained his focus. “Busy!” he said loudly and shrugged with a smile. “How about you? How’s school?” 

“Busy,” Alex said, laughing stiffly about using the same word. “Almost done for the semester though. Just a few more days.”

“Straight As, no doubt,” Landry said as he poured pineapple juice and whiskey sour mix into a blender with ice. He pressed the button and gave Alex an apologetic smile for adding to the noise. He added the alcohol and blended it again before pouring it into the tall, curvy glass. Landry decorated the cocktail with a bright rainbow umbrella and a neon green straw. “Our house drink, The Meaning of Life,” Landry announced as he presented it to Alex. “Happy Birthday, Alex,” he added, his tone softer. 

Alex tried not to put meaning behind the shift in Landry’s tone, telling himself it was just a sincere birthday wish to a friend. “The Meaning of Life,” he pondered as he leaned in to take a sip. “So I drink this and then all the answers become clear?”

Landry shook his head and chuckled. “No, but if you drink enough of them, you don’t care about the answers any more.”

Laughing, Alex took another sip. He was careful not to give himself a brain freeze, but the concoction was tasty and lethal in that you couldn’t taste the alcohol. “I’ll keep that in mind.” 

The other customers waiting at the bar were growing restless and Landry wasn’t able to ignore them once Alex had his drink. “Excuse me, the natives are growing restless,” he said. “Enjoy your drink,” Landry added as he moved away to help a customer. 

Something about the tone of Landry’s voice brought back the memories from their breakup in a hot rush. Rationally he knew Landry was working and needed to help the other customers, but his irrational emotions remembered being brushed off. He struggled to fight off those demons, sipping at the drink in the hopes that the alcohol would numb the pain. He’d convinced himself that he could be a grown up about this. That he could converse with his ex like an adult. He was wrong. 

Landry hurried to fill the orders for the waiting customers and he was grateful when relief arrived in the form of his late-shift bartender. He finally had a moment to glance over at Alex only to find an empty barstool and his abandoned birthday drink. Landry looked around the bar and saw no sign of Alex. He headed toward the entrance to where Lou was still standing guard. Landry asked him if he’d seen Alex and Lou told him that the younger man had just left a few minutes ago and pointed in the direction he’d walked.

Without a second thought about what he was doing or even bothering to tell someone that he was leaving, Landry took off running after Alex. 

Alex struggled to keep his breathing under control and his panic at bay. “Stupid decision,” he muttered, finding himself right back in the mess he worked so hard to climb out of. He fought his way through the clumps of tourists that insisted on walking three abreast on the sidewalks as he made his way to Canal Street, just wanting to be home, even if it was his birthday and he should be out celebrating. 

“Alex!” Landry yelled when he caught sight of him, still running to catch up to him. 

Pausing for a moment because he thought he heard his name, Alex decided he must have just imagined it. That or overhead the shouts of drunken revelers. He continued on his way, still lost in thought. 

“Alex! Wait up!” Landry shouted as he closed the distance between them. He touched Alex’s shoulder to get him to turn around then bent over, hands on his knees as he caught his breath. “Was the drink that bad?” Landry gasped.

“Landry?” Alex said, his hand immediately reaching out to touch the other man’s shoulder. “What are you do…..are you alright?” Alex didn’t know what to think, it was like he’d conjured the other man up out of the thin air of his misery. “That drink wasn’t strong enough to make me hallucinate, right?”

Landry took Alex’s hand, holding it as he straightened. “I’m all right, just a little out of breath from running. Why did you leave?” 

Alex squeezed Landry’s hand, but then dropped it. “I thought I could handle seeing you again. I was wrong,” he said with a small shake of his head. 

Lifting his hand to touch Alex again, Landry let it drop by his side. He was afraid to do anything else that might make Alex walk away again. “I’m sorry you feel that way because I was really glad to see you. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you a lot.” 

Struggling to remain composed, Alex closed his eyes, hoping not seeing Landry’s face would help. “You don’t get to say that,” he said softly. 

Landry felt Alex slipping away and he wasn’t going to not do anything about it. “I deserve that. That and more,” he said as he moved closer to Alex, crowding him into an entryway to a shop which was closed for the night. “But I did miss you. I still miss you.”

With anyone else, Alex would have felt scared being trapped in the doorway, but even after everything that had happened, Landry made him feel safe. “I came to see you tonight because I thought I was at the point that I could be friends with you. Or at least see you in a social setting. The birthday drink was just an excuse. But I’m not as strong as I thought I was. It just brought back everything I thought I’d gotten over.”

“I’m so glad you came tonight,” Landry said softly, lifting his hand to Alex’s face. “I’ve wanted to call you a thousand times in the past six weeks. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am. How stupid I am. I wanted to beg you to forgive me.”

“Forgive you for breaking my heart? For almost breaking me?” Alex snapped, regretting the words as soon as they were out of his mouth. 

Landry flinched from Alex’s sharp words. He nodded. “I know it isn’t an excuse, but I thought I was doing the right thing.” 

Alex could feel Landry’s pain. It wasn’t any match for what he was feeling, but the fact that Landry was so clearly tortured by what happened helped ease the sting. He reached out and touched Landry’s arm, just a brush of his fingers before pulling his hand back. “You better start explaining, because right now you aren’t making any sense.” 

“I screwed up,” Landry admitted. “I convinced myself that you only wanted one thing from me, what we agreed on, for me to teach you. But that last night we were together, the night you were so tired but we started kissing on the couch? I realized that it was more than just sex, I was in love with you.”

Alex head spun. There were so many fucked up things in what Landry had just said that he couldn’t even sort them all out. “You dumped me because you were in love with me?”

Landry shook his head. “I didn’t dump you . . . I mean it wasn’t like that. I didn’t think of us as being together like that. I didn’t think you thought of us together like that.” He sighed, finding his words not worthy of the explanation. “You are young and you’ve got so much ahead of you. I was sure I was doing the right thing by not letting on about how I felt. You said yourself this was something you were fitting into your schedule before school got too busy. How was I supposed to tell you?”

“And you couldn’t see that I was crazy in love with you? That I would have done anything for it to mean more than what we initially agreed to?” It hurt Alex so much to know that they’d been so close to something great and let it slip away. 

“I told myself that it didn’t mean that much to you because you never said anything,” Landry replied. “But I knew you felt it, too.” He took Alex’s head in his hands, framing his face as he looked at him. “Do you still feel that way?” 

Alex was afraid to speak. He wanted to say yes, to tell the truth, to finally have it all in the open. But there was a part of him that was scared to put it out there and leave himself so vulnerable. He forced himself to make the choice and take the leap. After all, that’s what this whole experience had started out to be about. “I do,” he whispered. 

Landry pulled Alex in for a kiss, holding him tight enough to break him or at least tight enough not to lose him again. 

Pulled up on his toes, Alex wound his arms around Landry’s neck and held on for dear life as he drowned in the kiss. 

“Come back with me,” Landry rasped when they finally came up for air. “We need to talk some more. Please.”

“Oh God,” Alex said, realizing that Landry must have just left the bar to come after him. “Did you just walk away from work? Do you think they’ve sent someone to look for you?”

Landry laughed and shook his head. “No, I was just filling in for someone and my replacement arrived right after you left. I was going to come back and talk to you some more, but you were gone,” he explained. “But I would have still run after you even if there wasn’t anyone there.”

“So you are saying there is a chance we could go back there and not make a scene,” Alex said, his fingers threading through Landry’s hair in an intimately familiar gesture that he’d missed so much. 

“Unless I have to drag you back. That might get some looks,” Landry grinned and kissed Alex again. 

“I’ll go willingly,” Alex promised. His wounds weren’t fully healed, but he wanted to give this his whole heart in the hopes it would work. 

“Good,” Landry said softly, relieved that Alex agreed to go back with him. It was where his boy belonged and he was eager for the chance to make up with Alex. 

Alex wrapped his arm around Landry’s waist as they started to walk back toward the bar. He didn’t want to let go, the touch reminded him that this was real, not just a fantasy like so many of the others he’d had.

They walked and talked more as they headed back to the bar, Landry keeping Alex close. He’d been a fool when he had pushed Alex away and he wasn’t going to make that mistake again. They made their way through the crowd in the bar, Landry holding Alex’s hand until they were safely upstairs in his apartment. He closed and locked the door then turned to Alex, lifting him up into his arms again for another kiss. 

Alex had missed the strength in Landry’s arms, the way he could just lift him or move him just where he wanted. He knew there was a lot more talking to be done, but it could wait. This is what they both needed. 

“Thank you for coming back to me,” Landry murmured as they kissed. He lowered Alex to the floor, but kept his arms around him. 

“Thank you for coming after me,” Alex smiled into the kiss. He worked his hands under the hem of Landry’s shirt and pressed his hands against Landry’s stomach. 

Landry grinned, his lips curving against Alex’s. “So talk now or talk later?” he said between kisses. 

“Later,” Alex whispered, Landry’s skin warm under his palms. “I don’t think this can wait.” 

Nodding his head in agreement, Landry took Alex’s hand and led him into his bedroom. They continued their kisses and touches, reacquainting themselves with the lovers they’d lost. Landry took his shirt off and kicked out of his shoes before helping Alex with his tee shirt. He kissed his neck and shoulders, moaning softly against the smooth skin. “I missed the way you smell, the way you taste,” Landry said. 

Alex toed off his shoes and socks as he let Landry explore his skin. “I missed the way you make me feel,” he said softly, the words causing a wave of emotion he wasn’t expecting. 

Landry lifted his head and smiled at Alex. He framed his boy’s face with his large hands and stared into the dark eyes that had been haunting his dreams for last two months. “I’m sorry I was scared of this,” he said sincerely. “I should have never let you go.” 

Alex stared up into Landry’s eyes. “Don’t do it again. You won’t get a third chance.” The words sounded tougher than Alex’s frayed emotions could really back up, but he never wanted to have to go through this again. 

“I won’t,” Landry said, wrapping Alex in another tight embrace and burying his face in his hair. 

Alex held on tightly. He’d been hoping for this for so long, but everything he’d imagined paled in comparison to the real thing. “Now take me to bed,” he murmured with a smile. “Tie me up and fuck me ‘til I scream.” 

“With pleasure,” Landry smiled as he picked up Alex and walked him to the bed. He laid him on the bed and reached for the button on his jeans. Landry tugged the denim down and off then reached for the waistband on Alex’s boxer briefs. 

Alex lifted his hips. letting Landry strip him down. Being back in Landry’s bed felt so familiar, almost like he’d never left. 

Landry pulled the waistband down then stopped as he stared. “A tattoo?” he asked dumbly as he brushed his thumb over the black ink. He looked up at Alex, stunned by the discovery. 

With everything else that had happened, it took Alex a minute for his brain to catch up. “Oh yeah,” he said, pushing up on his elbows and looking down at where Landry’s fingers touched his belly. “I had… a phase,” he said with a smile. “Made some interesting decisions.” 

“It’s beautiful. Nice work,” Landry murmured as he pushed the mental image of another man being that intimate with his boy out of his mind. 

“It’s supposed to remind me to just relax. Not to stress over every little thing. To live.” He watched Landry stroke the skin, remembering how it felt when it was fresh. 

“That’s a good reminder.” Landry bent his head, pressing his lips against the tattoo. He wished he had been with Alex when he got it and he wondered what else he had missed in his boy’s life in the weeks they were apart. 

“I didn’t have you around to tell me that when I needed to hear it,” Alex said softly. “But now you’re back.” 

Landry lifted his head and gave his boy a tender smile. “Yes, I am,” he said as he pulled the boxer brief down Alex’s legs and tossed them on the floor with his jeans. “And if you ever get another one, I’m going to be there.”

“You just like seeing me in pain,” Alex teased, reaching for Landry as soon as they were free of their clothes. 

“Maybe a little,” Landry grinned before kissing Alex again as his hands mapped his body. “You did mention something about screaming . . .”

“God, I’ve missed you,” Alex sighed happily. “No one else can give me what I need.” 

Landry loomed over Alex, smiling down at him. “Ditto,” he said softly. 

“Show me,” Alex said, his playful tone turning darker and needier. “Make me remember.” 

“Turn over,” Landry ordered without hesitation. He sat up on the bed and pulled Alex onto his lap. Landry ran his hand down Alex’s spine and squeezed his firm ass before cupping his hand and slapping Alex firmly on one cheek. 

Alex was a little embarrassed at how hard one blow from Landry’s hand made him. He squirmed in Landry’s lap, silently begging for more. 

Landry rubbed his hand over the mark he’d made on Alex’s ass. The pink skin was warm beneath his touch and he loved the way his boy moved on his lap as he touched him. Landry gave the other cheek a smack then ran his hand up Alex’s back, tugging at the hair at his nape. “How does that feel?” he asked. 

“Good,” Alex gasped out, Landry’s hand at his neck sending a shiver down his spine. 

Keeping one hand on Alex’s neck, Landry used his other hand to continue spanking his boy. He didn’t let up until Alex’s ass was bright red and his boy was writhing on his lap. 

Being pinned down by Landry’s hand was almost as hot as the spanking. Alex found himself slammed back into headspace, relieved to have the craving finally satiated again after so long. 

Landry shifted Alex onto the bed as he reached for the drawer in the bedside table. Condom and lube in hand, he gave Alex’s abused bottom another slap. “On your knees,” Landry ordered. 

Alex slowly worked his knees up under his body, shoving his hips high in the air. He kept his chest pressed to the bed and his back arched, presenting himself to his lover. 

“Beautiful,” Landry said as he rubbed the lube over Alex’s hole. He pushed inside Alex, slowly stretching him. Landry reached between Alex’s legs and wrapped his slick fingers around his hard cock and stroked him before returning his attention to his boy’s hole. He was anxious to be inside his lover again.

“Don’t tease,” Alex whimpered, Landry’s fingers no match for what he really needed. He pushed back against Landry’s hand, showing him he was ready. 

“Shhhh. Okay, darlin’,” Landry said softly as he pressed the head of his cock against Alex’s opening then slowly pushed inside. 

Alex buried his face in the sheets as he cried out. He’d been so sure he would never have this again, that it was overwhelming to experience it. 

Landry moved slowly at first, easing inside the tight heat of Alex’s body. He bent to kiss his boy’s back as he cried out, the sound going straight to Landry’s heart. He knew he was lucky to have Alex back in his bed and back in his life. 

Working his hand under his body, Alex lightly stroked his cock as his body readjusted to Landry size. He didn’t hold anything back, laying all his cards on the table when it came to letting Landry see and hear just how he felt. 

Alex’s skin was warm against Landry’s when he thrust deeper inside him. The sound of his skin slapping against his boy’s as he thrust inside him and the moans of pleasure they made were like music to Landry’s ears. 

“Please,” Alex moaned, his voice almost drowned out by the sounds of their breaths. “Please let me come,” he asked, knowing this was all too overwhelming to drag out. 

Landry reached around, covering Alex’s hand on his cock as he took over and began to stroke him. “Come for me,” he rasped as he continued to move inside him. 

The commanding voice was all it took, and Alex shivered as he let go. It was a long, drawn out climax, that threatened to drown him as wave after wave of pleasure washed over him. 

Landry went still as Alex clenched and shuddered beneath him. He kissed his boy’s back and shoulders as his body shook with the power of his orgasm. 

When Alex finally returned to earth, he exhaled and let go, his body relaxing. He sank his chest further into the bed and arched his hips back, wanting Landry to get to experience the same thing he had. 

“You’re perfect,” Landry told Alex as he began to move inside him. The simple offering was a reminder that his boy had always given him what he needed. 

Alex basked in the praise as his sated body took everything Landry had to give.

In only moments, Landry was coming, Alex’s name on his lips. Sated and exhausted, he fell to the bed, pulling Alex into his arms. 

Pressed tightly against Landry’s chest, Alex could feel his heartbeat, still racing from their efforts. He pressed his lips against the other man’s shoulder, tasting the salt of his skin. 

Landry rubbed his hand over Alex’s heated skin as they lay there in silence. He wanted to say so many things to Alex and all at once, but in the quiet between them, he felt that Alex already knew.

✬✬✬

Alex finished drying off from his shower and hung his towel on the hook on the back of the door. He wished he had a toothbrush, but he hadn’t left the house the night before expecting not to go home. He slipped back into his jeans, but left off his shirt and socks, the humid May air leaving him plenty warm. 

He went in search of Landry and found him right where he’d left him, out on the balcony. “I feel refreshed,” he said with a smile, settling back into the chair he’d vacated after what they’d called breakfast, even though it had been eaten closer to lunch. 

“Good,” Landry replied from where he was leaning against the the railing on the balcony. “Did you want another cup of coffee?” he offered. 

“I’d never say no to more coffee,” Alex said, handing over the empty mug that still sat on the table by his chair. 

Landry moved closer to take Alex’s mug. He leaned down to give him a kiss as he took it from his hand. “Be right back,” he murmured with a smile. 

Alex watched him go and then settled back further into the chair. He’d missed these quiet times with Landry. The sex was definitely amazing, but just spending time with the other man was what he’d found himself aching for the past few weeks. He shook his head at how strange it all was. 

Landry returned with a fresh, hot cup of coffee and handed it to Alex, pulling it back when the other man reached for it. “Not so fast. I get another kiss for delivering it,” he said with a smile as he bent his head. 

“A fair price,” Alex smiled, pushing up to meet Landry. Not content with a mere peck, he nipped softly at Landry’s lower lip before drawing him into a deep kiss. 

“Mmmm,” Landry hummed with a smile as he handed over the mug then dropped into the chair next to Alex’s. He smiled as he watched his boy take a sip of his coffee. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said softly. 

Alex hesitated for a moment, but then decided that if they were going to try and be together, then all their cards needed to be on the table. “Can we talk about what that means?” 

Landry nodded. “Sure,” he replied. “I think it’s important to talk.”

“You said…” Alex hesitated, forcing himself to think back to that moment on the street when Landry had chased him down. “You said that wanting more than what we had is what made you push me away. Was that all it was?” He’d spent so much time wrestling with that question, it was tantalizing to think that it might finally be answered. 

“No. Not all of it. Part of it. I realized that I was in love with you, but I knew that wasn’t what you had signed up for so I convinced myself it was wrong. That I was wrong for you,” Landry explained. “It’s sounds stupid saying it out loud, but believe me when I tell you it was no picnic when that was all I could think about.”

“And it wasn’t that I didn’t like the formal scene?” Alex kept his voice even, but his insides trembled at putting words to something he’d tried not to let himself think about. 

“What? No, of course not. You know that I don’t go in for that either. It had nothing to do with that, I promise,” Landry said. 

Alex exhaled a shaky breath. “Okay,” he nodded. “So how do we convince you that you are exactly what I need? Because I know it and I want you to know it too,” he said, reaching over and touching Landry’s arm. 

Landry smiled, covering Alex’s hand with his. “I’m getting there. You came back to me. And I hope I’m not wrong, but I don’t think you came back for the way things were before.”

Alex smiled. “Is that too much to hope for? Because right now I’m still feeling a little like a kid on Christmas morning and it just seems greedy to ask for more.” 

“It’s not too much to hope for. I want it, too,” Landry took hold of Alex’s hand and pulled him out of his seat and onto his lap. “I want us to be partners. A couple. I want you to be my boy.” 

Alex settled into Landry’s lap, resting his head on Landry’s shoulder and tucking his forehead in against his neck as he processed those three words. “Tell me what you mean by that,” he said softly, not wanting to presume anything. A lack of communication had nearly cost him Landry once, he wasn’t going to ever let them miscommunicate again. 

“I want you to be mine,” Landry told him. “Only mine.”

“I want that too,” Alex murmured, his pulse racing at the thought. “And I want you to be mine. Only mine. If those are the right words to use for it.” 

“Those are the right words.” Landry turned his head to kiss Alex. 

Alex reached up to touch Landry’s cheek as they kissed, and he held him there for a moment when they parted. “That’s the _boy_ part, right? But you said partners as well.” 

“Yes. Boyfriends. Whatever you want to call it, I want to be more to you than a Dom you have sex with,” Landry explained. 

Alex broke into a wide smile. “Yes. And that’s the part that scared you. I promise I’m not that scary.” 

Landry laughed. “I wasn’t scared of you. I was scared that you didn’t want that. You have a plan, school and grad school. I don’t want to mess that up for you.”

Alex loved the sound of Landry’s laugh. Another thing he’d missed. “And maybe a little scared to be out of your comfort zone? Your private castle here where you can’t even get in without getting past the bouncer downstairs?” 

“My castle has been a bit too private for my liking. I’d rather be sharing it with you,” Landry admitted. 

“I like the sound of that,” Alex said, returning his head to Landry’s shoulder. “I meant it when I said that no one else can give me what I need. And that goes for in and out of the bedroom.” 

“And I like the sound of that,” Landry echoed. He wanted to be everything that Alex needed. 

Alex turned just enough to kiss Landry’s neck. “And the age thing? You can accept that?” 

“I can. Can you?” Landry countered as he rested his hand at the back of Alex’s neck. 

“I never had an issue with it,” Alex said, closing his eyes and relaxing under Landry’s touch. “I pursued you, remember?”

“Yes you did,” Landry said softly as he slowly massaged the back of Alex’s neck. 

“I’m glad you’ve finally given in to fate,” Alex said softly. “We were meant to be together.” 

Landry pulled Alex in. “Yes we were,” he whispered before he claimed Alex’s mouth for another kiss. 

Alex slid his arms up around Landry’s neck. “If you keep that up we’re going to end up back in bed,” he murmured into the kiss. 

“And that would be a bad thing because . . .?” Landry grinned.

“Excellent point. We have to make up for lost time,” Alex grinned back.

✬✬✬

Landry blinked, slowly awakening. He felt the warmth of Alex curled next to him and smiled. This was better than the weeks without his boy and the times he would wake up alone missing Alex so much it was like a physical craving. 

He looked at Alex while he slept. Landry had noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He told himself that Alex was probably burning the midnight oil studying for his finals, but he knew he was to blame. The pain he’d inflicted on Alex when he pushed him away was as acute as his own pain when he’d made the decision to do it. Landry was grateful Alex had come back to him and given him another chance. A chance he wasn’t going to waste. 

Landry bent his head, brushing his lips against Alex’s forehead. His boy was back where he belonged and Landry was going to do everything right to make him stay. 

Alex blinked open his eyes, finding himself face to face with Landry. “Hi,” he smiled. He’d slept soundly, something he’d missed when they’d been apart. The rest he got in Landry’s bed was somehow more rejuvenating than any sleep he had in his own bed. 

“Hey,” Landry whispered. “Sorry I woke you,” he added as he traced Alex’s cheekbone with his thumb. 

“I doubt it,” Alex laughed softly. “You can’t resist touching me.” 

“It’s that obvious?” Landry smiled as he wrapped his arm around Alex and tugged him closer. 

“Feels a little like you keep testing to be sure I’m really still here,” Alex said, hoping his words didn’t hit too close to home. 

“While we were apart, I had dreams that you were still here with me, but then you wouldn’t be here when I woke up,” Landry explained. 

Alex turned his head to face Landry. “And here I thought I was the only one having crazy dreams.” 

Landry ghosted his finger over the skin below Alex’s eyes. “You didn’t sleep well while we were apart,” he said softly. 

Shaking his head, Alex closed his eyes under Landry’s touch. “I was going out a lot, and studying when I was home. Sleep just made me think about you.” It was hard to admit that out loud, but they needed to be honest. 

“Do you still sleep best when you’re with me?” asked Landry.

“I do. Might be because you always wear me out first,” Alex said, trying to lighten the tone of the conversation just a bit. 

Landry smiled. “You’ve been through a lot and this might be too soon, but it is something I want. I want you to sleep with me every night. I want you to move in with me.”

Alex’s eyes flew open. He searched Landry’s face, trying to see if there was a joke or a punchline, but finding nothing but open honesty. He started to say something but then hesitated. 

“I know it’s not the greatest place, above a bar, but I would make sure you had plenty of space and time for school. If it’s too soon, I get it, but I had to ask. No more holding back.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want? I know this private space means a lot to you.” Alex wasn’t saying no, not by any means, but he didn’t want Landry to feel any kind of obligation to him. 

“I do want it. I want us to be together, really be together, and share our lives,” Landry replied. “That was my problem. I wanted that before, but I was a coward. Instead of talking to you about it, I pushed you away.”

“And you are okay with that now?” Alex reached out and touched Landry’s cheek. “You aren’t scared of it anymore?”

“No. I want everything. I want it all. With you,” Landry whispered. “I want you to be my boy.”

Alex froze. “Tell me what you mean by that,” he said quietly once he managed to find his voice. His mind was running wild and he needed Landry’s calming presence to steady him. He found himself once again needed that teacher Landry had always been for him. 

“I want you to live with me. As my lover and as my sub. I want to make a commitment to you and I want you to make a commitment to me,” Landry explained.

Alex let that process, sliding his hand down Landry’s arm and joining their fingers together while he thought. “Not in scene 24/7 right? That’s what you mean by lovers? Like we are now?”

“Yes, like we are now,” Landry said with a slight squeeze of his hand. “Nothing changes except that you live here with me and I get to see you more often.” 

“And I belong to you,” Alex added. 

Landry nodded. “Yeah, you belong to me as in you’re mine and only mine.”

“Are boys allowed to claim their Sirs as well? As in you are mine and only mine?” Alex asked, tipping his head up and brushing his lips across Landry’s mouth. 

“Yes,” Landry murmured against Alex’s lips. 

“Good. Then I agree. I want to be your boy.” It felt momentous and overwhelming, and there was a part of Alex that was sure it wasn’t a good idea so soon after their reunion, but he also couldn’t imagine saying no. 

Landry wrapped his arms around Alex and pulled him close against him. “I love you, Alex,” he said softly. 

‘“I love you too,” Alex said, snuggling into Landry’s arms. “Even when I hated you, I still loved you.” 

“Ouch,” Landry chuckled softly. “I deserve that, but it’s still hard to hear,” he admitted.

“If I hadn’t shown up in the bar on my birthday, would you have ever come back to me?” Alex said, asking the question that had nagged at him since that night. 

“Yes. I must have started to call you a hundred times at least. But every time I convince myself that you were better off without me. Now I like to think I was wrong about that . . .”

“Completely wrong.” Alex confirmed. “I was lost without you.” 

Landry kissed Alex then sighed when he pulled away. “I’m so sorry I did that to you.” 

“I’m not going to pretend it didn’t suck,” Alex said, squeezing Landry’s hand, “but you can’t keep beating yourself up about it. I’m here. You’re here. We are going to be ok. Together.” 

“That’s what I want. I want us to be together,” Landry smiled. 

“And we are,” Alex said, punctuating the statement with a kiss. 

“So how much furniture do you have?” Landry asked with a grin.

“Nothing worth keeping,” Alex laughed. “Poor college student, remember?”

“I’ll buy you a desk so you can have a designated study place when you want it. Not that you can’t study on the couch or the bed or the floor if you want to. I just want to give you options,” Landry explained.

“I use the library a lot too, so don’t worry about it too much. I’d be rather distracted here anyway.” 

“I know you have a busy semester ahead of you. I don’t want to get in the way of that. I’m here to support you, not distract you. Well, not all the time,” Landry smiled.

“I have all summer first,” Alex pointed out. “Just the GRE and you. Plenty of time to learn and study _other_ subjects if you know what I mean.” 

Landry nudged Alex onto his back and loomed over him, smiling down at his lover. “I know exactly what you mean.” 

“Maybe you should show me,” Alex said softly, gently resisting against Landry’s frame. “Just so we are communicating clearly and both on the same page.” 

“I’m going to show you so many things, darlin’,” Landry replied as he pulled Alex’s arms over his head. His boy’s were dark brown so he wasn’t always able to see his pupils dilate, but he definitely recognized the signals of Alex’s desire. “I’m going to start by tying your arms ,” Landry told him. 

Alex felt his pulse race, and the thrill was amped up from knowing that Landry’s words alone could do that to him. He hadn’t been in subspace in so long and he craved how it felt. He nodded, his eyes never leaving Landry’s face, knowing he needed to give his full consent. 

“Don’t move,” Landry whispered as he slid off the bed and walked to his closet to get the things he needed. He returned to the bed, his stride easy and confident. Landry looked at Alex and smiled to see his boy in the same position in which he had left him. He laid the supplies on the bed and climbed back in. Landry dragged Alex across the bed, handling his lighter frame easily. He used silk fabric ties to bind Alex’s wrists and to tie him to one of the large bed posts. 

Alex couldn’t resist testing the ties, tugging and twisting his wrists just to feel the restraint.   
Without any warning, Landry flipped Alex over onto his stomach then pressed against his back. “Are they tight enough for you?” he whispered against Alex’s ear.

“Yes,” Alex gasped, resisting the urge to push up against the weight of Landry’s body against his back. He dropped his head down between his outstretched arms, his cheek resting against the bed. 

“Good. Because I don’t want you going anywhere right now,” Landry crooned as he ran his hands over Alex’s back before grabbing his hips and lifting him to his knees.

Landry was strong enough to just manhandle him into position, and Alex felt his cock respond enthusiastically. He might have been embarrassed by that if his brain hadn’t already been short circuiting with anticipation. 

Landry gave Alex’s ass a double-handed squeeze, murmuring his admiration then giving his boy a sharp slap on one cheek as a seal of approval. He reached for the small paddle he’d thrown on the bed with the other supplies and tested it against his hand before rubbing it against the red hand mark he left on Alex’s butt cheek. 

The sound of the paddle against Landry’s hand ramped up Alex’s anticipation, but at the same time it gave him comfort to know what to expect. It was cool and hard against his skin, a contrast to the heat and strength of Landry’s hands. 

Landry used the paddle, landing two swift blows, one on each of Alex’s cheeks. 

Alex exhaled sharply, his fists clenching into balls. “Should I count, Sir?” he asked shakily, his voice muffled by his position. 

“Yes,” Landry agreed. “We’re going to ten,” he added. Landry usually didn’t require the type of things found in more formal play, but he guessed Alex asked for a reason and he wanted to encourage anything which made the experience more for his boy. 

“Two,” Alex said, settling in as the sharp sting faded out to an overall heat. He arched his back and pushed his ass up, ready for more. 

Landry ran his hand over Alex’s back again and smiled. His boy was eager. He landed two more blows, each one harder than the first two. 

Alex counted, his voice strained from the bite of the paddle. He closed his eyes, which heightened the rest of his senses. 

“Spread your legs,” Landry ordered, rubbing Alex’s inner thigh with the paddle before using it to spank him again, twice.

Alex took a moment to compose himself after the blows and then worked his legs open. Without the use of his hands he had to wiggle from side to side, but he spread himself open for Landry. 

“You’re so hard,” Landry said softly as he rubbed the paddle against Alex’s erection hanging between his spread legs. He used to paddle to lightly pat his boy’s balls, taking care to excite without causing him any injury. 

“It’s all for you,” Alex said, working hard to stay still as Landry used the paddle on him. The soft taps were just enough to get his attention without being painful and he knew that was due to Landry’s skill. 

“Yes it is,” Landry agreed without hesitation. “My boy,” he said firmly and emphasizing that with two more swats of the paddle against Alex’s already red ass cheeks. 

Alex counted off the strikes, his breath coming faster now. He knew there were only two more and he was proud, knowing he could take them for Landry. His skin pulsed with each beat of his heart, the heat radiating down into the backs of his thighs. 

Landry laid the paddle on the bed and reached for the lube. He squeezed the cool gel onto his fingers then rubbed them against Alex’s hole. 

The shift in temperature caused a full body shiver that rattled its way down his spine. His muscles involuntarily contracted, but he took a deep breath in and relaxed as he exhaled. 

Taking his time, Landry carefully worked his boy open, using his fingers to push in and out until Alex’s body was rocking with the same slow rhythm. He removed his fingers, rolling on a condom then pressing his cock against Alex’s hole.

Alex moaned when Landry’s fingers left him empty, but the sweet reward of his cock completely made up for it. He couldn’t help but push his hips back, needing to be full to the core. 

Landry squeezed Alex’s abused ass cheeks as he slid deeper into the heat of his boy’s body. When he was fully seated, he reached for the paddle again, using it spank Alex as he fucked him. 

Crying out, Alex let the sensations overwhelm him and shove him completely over into the cloud of headspace. While he’d known in his head how much he’d missed this, the way his body responded showed him it was a physical thing too, that he never wanted to live without again. 

Dropping the paddle again after Alex murmured the count on the last two blows, Landry grabbed his boy’s hips and began to pound into him, taking everything he’d missed during their separation.

If it weren’t for Landry’s strong hands on his hips, Alex wasn’t sure he would be able to stay up on his knees. His body yielded completely to Landry, each thrusting coring him open. He cried open mouth heaves of air against the bed, unable to make any attempts at coherent words. 

After pulling out, Landry suddenly flipped Alex onto his back again. He looked up at his boy’s restrained arms to be sure the fabric wasn’t cutting off the circulation at his wrists. Landry moved easily between Alex’s legs which were limp from their exertions, pushing back inside him.

Alex’s eyes flew open and he was greeted by the sight of Landry looming over him. The look on his lover’s face, full of adoration and need, just about undid him.

“So good. You’re so good for me,” Landry rasped as he moved inside Alex. He took hold of Alex’s cock which was straining against his belly and began to stroke him. “Want you to come.”

His toes curling as Landry took him in hand, Alex’s fried brain hoped that statement was permission. If it wasn’t he would gladly take his punishment. He worked his hips, fucking himself into Landry’s fist, and came as his muscles contracted all at once. 

The sight of Alex coming undone was enough to push Landry over the edge, too. He pulled out, yanked off the condom and fisted his cock until he came, striping Alex’s belly with his release. 

Alex watched Landry’s completion through glazed eyes, burning with pride that he was the cause. He lacked the muscle control to do much, but he squeezed his legs where they still wrapped around Landry’s hips. 

Bending closer, Landry kissed his boy. “That was fucking amazing. Or amazing fucking. Take your pick,” he grinned, as he caressed Alex’s face. He kissed him again before reaching over to release him from his restraints. Landry rubbed the marks on Alex’s wrists carefully to be sure they weren’t injured during the intensity of their coupling.

“Bruises there tomorrow?” Alex asked hopefully, relaxing as Landry rubbed his wrists. 

“Pretty sure,” Landry replied, kissing Alex’s forehead. 

“Good,” Alex said softly, closing his eyes as Landry kissed him. “To remind me this is real.” 

“It’s real, darlin’.” Landry pulled Alex closer, grateful to have his boy back in his life.

✬✬✬

Landry poured himself a cup of coffee from behind the bar, whistling as he added the cream and sugar. He smiled when he saw Jules walk in. “Good morning!” Landry said brightly, saluting her with his coffee cup before taking a sip of the hot brew. 

Jules gave him the side eye. “You are entirely too cheerful. Why are you even here this early?”

“My coffee pot is broken,” Landry explained. “You know the one down here makes pretty good coffee.” 

“If you say so,” Jules said, passing by to take her purse to the back office.

Alex made his way down the stairs, checking as he went to be sure he had his phone and keys. “Hey,” he said with a smile when he found Landry with his coffee. “I’m just going to run home for a bit and pack a few things to bring back with me. What time are you off work?”

“Six. I have the afternoon shift today,” Landry answered as he leaned in to give Alex a kiss. “Want a cup of coffee to go?” he offered. 

“Sure, if you are offering,” Alex murmured, lingering in the kiss. 

“Let me find a to go cup,” Landry smiled, kissing Alex one more time before he moved away to rummage in the lower cabinets. “If you need some help today, I can see if I can switch shifts with somebody?” he said, his voice muffled from his head being in a cabinet.

“No, I should be able to handle…” Alex trailed off as Jules came back around the corner. “Hi,” he said, giving a little wave.

“Hey, Alex,” Jules said, unable to hide her surprise. “Didn’t expect to see you here.” 

Landry emerged from the cabinet, a white styrofoam cup in his hand. “Hey Jules. Do you know where the tops for these cups are?” he asked casually.

“If there aren’t any down there then you probably need to get more from the back,” she said, looking back and forth between the two men. 

“I don’t need a lid,” Alex said, trying to read the situation. “I’ll just be careful while I walk.” 

“What if someone bumps into you? You need a lid,” Landry said firmly as he handed the cup to Alex. “Here make your coffee and I’ll get you a lid before you go,” he added with a smile. 

Alex resisted the urge to say “yes, Sir,” in a playful manner. Instead he just made his coffee, feeling Jules eyes on him the whole time. 

“Something you want to share, Landry?” Jules said after a long silence, unable to take it any longer. 

Landry looked at Jules then looked at Alex. “It’s okay for me to share our news?” he asked softly. 

Alex started to nod, but then he did one better. Leaning over he planted a kiss right on Landry’s mouth. 

Slipping his hand to the back of Alex’s neck, Landry held him close as they kissed. He gave his boy a sly smile when they finally parted. “Jules, Alex has agreed to be my boy. He’s moving in with me,” Landry said proudly, never taking his eyes of Alex. 

Jules clapped her hands together and smiled. “What took you so damn long?”

Landry laughed softly. “I take it you’re pleased?” he asked Jules. 

Alex stayed where he was, pressed up close against Landry. It felt good to be publically claimed like that, and he liked knowing Landry wasn’t trying to hide what they meant to each other. 

“Very. I was getting pretty sick of you moping around here,” Jules laughed. 

Landry kissed Alex’s temple. “No more moping,” he said with a smile. 

“Well crap,” Jules said, as she realized what this meant. “Now I’ve got to find someone to cover the weekend shifts again.” 

Landry rolled his eyes and laughed again. “We’ll find someone to help us out, no worries,” he told Jules. “But you’re right, I probably won’t be around as much.” 

Alex gave Landry a squeeze. He didn’t want to cause a problem at the bar, but he liked the idea of spending more time with Landry. 

Jules shook her head, but there was still a wide smile on her face. “We’ll work it out.” 

✬✬✬

Alex put a new filter in the coffee pot and reached up into the cabinet for the coffee. The bag of grounds wasn’t in its usual spot and he frowned. It was almost two in the morning and he _needed_ caffeine. He rooted around for a bit, still coming up empty. He slammed the cabinet shut and started looking around on the counter in case he’d left the bag somewhere else that morning. He sighed in frustration when he finally remembered using the last of it and tossing the bag. 

He hadn’t been sleeping much all week, his GRE test date looming just a few days away. His studying had only been interrupted by bouts of moving, gradually bringing his things over to Landry’s place, along with short interruptions to put up more flyers to find a subletter and show the apartment to people that showed interest. 

Determined not to let his relationship with Landry suffer, he’d been making the most of his time when Landry was working and in the night, often getting up after they’d gone to bed to do more work. It was definitely unsustainable, but the end was in sight. 

His exploration of the counters made him realize just how dirty the kitchen was and he decided it was as good of a time as any for a good deep cleaning. 

Landry heard the sound of the cabinet door when it slammed. He rolled over in bed to find the spot next to him empty. Some more sounds in the kitchen verified that Alex was awake and busy doing something besides sleeping. Landry pulled on his pajama pants and padded barefoot out of the bedroom and down the small hall. He leaned against the wall which opened into the kitchen area, rubbing his eyes. 

“What are you doing?” Landry asked quietly. 

Alex looked up guiltily when he heard Landry’s voice. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” 

“This is third time you’ve gone to bed with me then you get up again later,” Landry said, one eyebrow arched as he stared at Alex. 

Alex frowned. “I woke you up those times too? I was trying to be so careful.” Landry had always been sleeping soundly when he returned to bed, and Alex was jealous of the peace that seemed to come so easily to him. 

Landry pushed away from the wall and moved closer to Alex. “I thought you liked my bed,” he said softly.

Alex put down the roll of paper towels he still held in his hand and leaned against the edge of the counter as some of his weariness crept in. “I love your bed,” he said, just a touch of longing in his voice.

“Want to tell me why you aren’t in it?” Landry glanced at the time on the stove then looked back at Alex. 

“I tried to sleep,” Alex promised, following Landry’s gaze and wincing at the time. “But then I remembered there was a vocabulary set I’d meant to work on today and forgot about. And the longer I laid there the more I thought about it, and then I remembered that I hadn’t called that guy back about the apartment, but obviously I couldn’t do that right now, and I was tossing and turning so much I got up so I didn’t bother you. So then I was going to make some coffee and work on my words but I couldn’t find the coffee and it made me mad and then I realized that I’d used the last of it myself this morning and just hadn’t remembered and then I was even more mad and then I realized the kitchen was filthy and I should clean it as punishment for being so stupid,” Alex said, the words tumbling out all at once. 

“Hey, hey . . .” Landry interrupted Alex’s narration as he placed his hands on Alex’s shoulders. “Take a breath,” he ordered softly. 

Alex felt like he was spinning out of control, but the moment Landry touched him he felt like he had something to hold on to. He exhaled a shaky breath and then inhaled, strong and steady. 

“I was getting tired just listening to all that.” Landry smiled, lowering his head to kiss Alex’s forehead. “You’ve got a lot going on right now. A lot of change, too. I get it. I do.”

Closing his eyes, Alex reached out and laid his hands on Landry’s hips. “I just can’t shut my brain off.” 

“I can help you do that,” Landry said as he slid his hand to the back of Alex’s neck, his fingers tangling in the soft dark hair as he squeezed. Landry felt the tension beneath his touch and he knew his boy needed him. 

“How?” Alex asked softly, willing to try anything. 

“You need to come back to bed with me,” Landry replied. “Right now,” he added as he squeezed the nape of Alex’s neck again. His voice was low and firm; it was not a request. 

Alex opened his eyes and scanned Landry’s face. He wasn’t sure what his lover had planned, but he trusted him enough to do it. He nodded slowly and squeezed Landry’s hips. 

Landry turned Alex around and gave him a nudge toward the bedroom. He turned off the lights in the kitchen then followed his young lover into the bedroom they shared. “Stop,” Landry said when Alex reached the bed. He moved closer, standing behind Alex. Landry tugged at the hem of Alex’s shirt, pulling it off over his head. He brushed his hands across Alex’s bare shoulders then leaned in to kiss his neck. 

Moaning softly, Alex liked where this was going. He tilted his head to the side as Landry kissed him, opening up his neck. 

Sliding his hands around Alex’s waist, Landry pushed the pajama pants his boy was wearing down over his hips, letting them drop and pool around his ankles as he continued to kiss and suck Alex’s neck. 

Alex shivered as the air washed across his skin. He’d been going and moving for so long it was hard to stay so still, but doing it for Landry made is possible. 

“Turn around,” Landry whispered next to Alex’s ear. 

Alex carefully stepped out of the pile of fabric at his feet and turned to face Landry.   
Landry’s hand was back at the nape of Alex’s neck again as he tipped his boy’s head back and kissed him hungrily. He pressed Alex back against the bed, his body molded against him. 

Melting against Landry, Alex worked on letting his control go. He knew if he could just put everything in Landry’s hands he could finally relax. 

Landry lifted Alex onto the bed. “On your knees. Butt on your heels, darlin’,” he told his lover as he walked around the bed to open a drawer in the nightstand. Landry pulled out the set of fur-lined cuffs, dangling them from his finger. 

Alex’s breath caught when he saw the cuffs, and he was unable to hide his reaction. He settled into position and let the anticipation wash over him, taking with it just a bit of his stress. 

“Hands behind your back,” Landry instructed, fastening the cuffs around Alex’s wrists when he obeyed. There was a short length of chain between the cuffs so the restraints would not strain his shoulders. “Lean forward,” Landry told him as he moved a pillow and held his shoulders to guide him down. He ran his hand along Alex’s back and over his ass, giving it a slap of approval. 

Letting Landry guide him into position, Alex wiggled just enough to be sure he was stable. Satisfied that he wouldn’t fall, he closed his eyes and really let himself sink into the moment. 

Landry undressed, admiring the look of his boy on the bed. Cuffed and ass up, just waiting for him. He gave Alex’s ass another smack before he got onto the bed, kneeling behind his restrained lover. Landry rubbed Alex’s ass along his crack then moved lower to rub and squeeze his balls and cock. “You look good like this,” he said.

“I like looking good for you,” Alex murmured. His mind flirted with thoughts of how he’d been neglecting his workouts and eating nothing but crap but he managed to head them off before he derailed into a spiral of dread that he wasn’t as attractive to Landry as he used to be. 

“Spread your legs a little,” Landry said as he tapped Alex’s inner thighs. He reached for the lube, coating his fingers before he rubbed them over his boy’s hole. Landry pushed one then two fingers inside Alex, slowly fucking him with his slick fingers. 

Alex turned his head just enough that his moans were muffled by the sheets. He curled his bound hands into fists and then forced them open again, working the tension out of his arms. 

Landry massaged and squeezed Alex’s balls and cock again, pulling just enough to border on slightly painful. “I should have fucked you tonight the first time we went to bed,” he purred. 

Alex arched his back, alternately shifting away and then towards the maddening pull of Landry’s hand. “I need it,” he moaned out, his cheeks flaming with embarrassment from admitting it.   
“I know you do, darlin’. And I need to give it to you,” Landry said before rolling on a condom and pushing inside his boy. 

Exhaling sharply as Landry breached his body, Alex felt something deep inside him snap into place. He did need this. His body needed it, but more than that his soul needed it. 

Landry fucked him forcefully, gripping Alex’s hip tightly as he took hold of the chain between the cuffs around his boy’s wrists. He tugged them, pulling Alex’s arm back as he moved inside him. 

The slight edge of pain radiating from his shoulders sharpened the sensations and Alex could feel his body respond. He shifted his hips with each thrust, trying to find even the slightest bit of friction against his cock. 

Pounding into Alex from behind, Landry rocked the bed with the power of his thrusts. He buried himself to the hilt in the tight heat of his boy’s body and went still for a moment, only the sounds of their heavy breathing filling the air around them. 

“No,” Alex cried out as soon as he caught his breath. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop,” he begged. He was so close to the release he craved, he couldn’t bear the thought of being denied. 

“Shhh,” Landry soothed even as his hand found the back of Alex’s neck again, squeezing and pressing his boy down against the mattress. “I’m not stopping,” he said as he took hold of Alex’s shoulders and pulled him up on his knees and back against Landry’s chest. 

Landry’s hand at his neck pushed Alex down into the fog of subspace that had been pooling around him. It was just the touch he needed, and he could feel the change in how his body moved as Landry pulled him in close. 

Wrapping his arm around Alex to hold him steady, Landry began to move inside him again. The chain still binding Alex’s wrists rattled between their bodies. Landry pressed open-mouth kisses on his boy’s shoulders as he thrust harder with each push of his hips.

Alex babbled incoherent words of need, his words strung together like they were earlier only from a very different cause. 

Landry took hold of Alex’s cock and stroked him as he moved inside him. His boy’s cock was hard and heavy in his fist. “Come for me, Alex,” he commanded. 

Alex let go, shaking violently in Landry’s firm grasp as he came. All of the tension and stress he’d been carrying flowed out of his frame, leaving him completely limp in Landry’s arms. 

Landry lowered Alex to the bed. His boy was lying on his side as Landry knelt beside him. He fisted his cock, moaning in satisfaction as he spurted cum across Alex’s skin.   
Moaning softly as Landry finished on him, Alex’s cock made a valiant effort to respond. He was just too wrung out though, Landry having well and truly put him where he needed to be. 

After disposing his condom, Landry uncuffed Alex’s wrists. He rubbed his boy’s wrists and arms gently to get the blood flowing. “Do you have feeling in your arms?” Landry asked, smiling as he looked into Alex’s blissed out eyes. 

Alex nodded and smiled. He was content to float and let Landry take care of him. 

Landry laid down beside Alex, spooning him from behind. He would get a washcloth and clean Alex’s skin later, he wanted to take this time to be there for his boy. Landry brushed the hair away from Alex’s forehead and kissed his temple. “You’re perfect,” he said softly. 

“Not as perfect as you,” Alex said drowsily, closing his eyes. “You always know how to fix me.” 

“That’s my job, darlin’,” Landry whispered. “I’m here to love you.” He stroked Alex’s head, lulling him into sleep.

“Thank you,” Alex murmured as he dropped off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Landry wove his way through the mass of small tables and too many chairs, following Alex to one of the outdoor tables at Cafe du Monde. The popular tourist destination wasn’t as crowded on a Tuesday morning in summer in New Orleans. Landry brushed away the powdered sugar on his seat then sat down. 

“I’m not sure this is such a good idea,” Landry said, looking at Alex across the tiny table. 

Alex cocked his head, a concerned look on his face. “Why? What’s wrong?” It was rare that they ventured out like this and he worried about what might be the issue. 

Landry lowered his voice and leaned in. “The last thing my boy needs is sugar and caffeine,” he whispered with a smile. 

“Hey now,” Alex said, giving Landry a soft punch in the arm. “My diet is like 50% sugar and caffeine.” 

“Which is why you can’t stop thinking long enough to sleep,” Landry countered, still grinning as he caught Alex’s hand. 

“I thought we’d solved that problem,” Alex laughed, blushing as he was flooded with memories. 

Landry rubbed his thumb over the shadow of a bruise on Alex’s wrist. “If it works for you, darlin’, it works for me,” he said softly, lifting Alex’s wrist to his lips for a soft kiss. 

“Oh it works for me. Definitely works,” Alex said softly. 

The waitress approached the table and they gave their order, two orders of beignets and two cafe au laits, large for Alex. Landry looked over at the artists lined along the fence at Jackson Square. “Nice day. Not too hot for this time of year.” 

“Surprising. But I’ll definitely take it. It’s nice to get some fresh air without roasting to death,” Alex said. 

“I’ve been meaning to put a ceiling fan in the bedroom. There used to be one in there, but it was broken so I took it down during the remodel. The AC is good, but I think a fan would help, especially in summer,” Landry told him.

Alex nodded. “There’s just something about air conditioned air. After awhile I feel like I just can’t breathe.” 

Landry nodded in agreement. “I’ll bump the fan up on my list,” he said with a smile. “I need to call the guy about the back stairs, too. Get on his schedule. His number is somewhere in that pile of paper on the kitchen counter.”

“I think I saw that,” Alex said, hesitating before he continued. He wasn’t sure if he should bring it up, but he decided things needed to be open between them. “I think it was under the brochure of Tulane’s graduate program.” 

Landry nodded again. “Something else I’ve been thinking of getting on the schedule with,” he said quietly. 

“A PhD? Or going back for a second Masters?” Alex tried to keep his tone light rather than asking the fifty questions that were spinning around in his head. 

“PhD,” Landry answered. “I had a lot of time to think when we were apart. I realized I’m not satisfied with just being a bar owner. I want more.”

Alex leaned back as their coffees were delivered. “Do you think you want to teach?”

Landry paid the waitress and reached for his cup of coffee. “I’m thinking about it. What do you think? Would I be all right as a teacher?”

Alex smiled. “You are an excellent teacher. Of course you won’t be teaching them _that_ but I’m sure those are transferable skills.”   
“So you’d be okay with me taking some classes and getting back into the program?” asked Landry.

“I’m already keeping you up all night with my study habits, it should be easy for us to adjust,” Alex said, blowing across the top of his cafe au lait.

“I didn’t want to proceed without talking to you about it first,” he explained. “We both have a lot going on, but none of it is more important to me than you and our relationship.”

“Where are you in the process? Still just thinking or have you applied?” Alex thought about how anxious he’d been and he wasn’t even applying until the fall. 

“I applied. When we were apart,” Landry replied. He hated thinking about those dark weeks. 

“Have you heard back?” Alex still couldn’t get over how calm Landry was. 

“I’m in. If I want it.” Landry reached out to take Alex’s hand. “But I don’t want it if it’s going to be a problem.”

Alex was silent for a moment, but he kept a firm grip on Landry’s hand. “You got into a doctoral program and you didn’t tell me?”

Landry opened his mouth then closed it again. “It’s still new with us living together and you’re working so hard . . . it never felt like the right time,” he said finally. 

“I’m proud of you,” Alex said softly, wishing he could kiss him. It was hard knowing that Landry had gone through that without him. “And I support you completely if this is what you want.” 

“You mean that?” Landry grinned, exhaling in relief. 

“I absolutely do. I can’t believe that all this time I’ve been stressed out about my GRE and grad school apps and you didn’t say a word.” Alex let go of Landry’s hand to make room for their plates as the waitress brusquely put down their beignets. 

“You didn’t need anything else to be stressed out about,” Landry said when they were alone again. 

“Now that you know the cure, you aren’t tempted to add some stress to my life?” Alex teased. 

Landry chuckled softly. “I’m just glad I can help. Even if it feels kinda wrong to benefit from my boy being over tired.”

“Sometimes wrong is so very right,” Alex said mischievously, taking a bite of his beignet. 

“Ain’t that the truth,” Landry grinned as he took a bite of his own beignet as he stared at Alex. 

“So what does that mean for Paradox?” Alex asked licking the powdered sugar off his lips. 

Mesmerized by Alex’s tongue, Landry was a bit slow in his response. “Well, since we both still need a place to live, I don’t want to sell. Jules is ready for the responsibility of managing so I’m handing over those reins to her. I’ll still be an owner, I just won’t be as active of a participant as I have in the past.” 

“I can help cover some shifts if you need it,” Alex offered. “But I’m really glad we don’t have to move out after I just moved all my stuff over there.” 

“You can help out whenever you have some time. You just let Jules know,” Landry said. “You can wait on the female customers,” he added with a wide grin. 

“Because you think they’ll like me, or to keep me away from the male customers?” Alex laughed. 

“Both.” Landry took another bite of beignet, still grinning. “Don’t forget, I’ve seen you action,” he said when he finished chewing. 

“No more action,” Alex promised. “It’s all for you now.” 

“All mine,” Landry echoed. 

“And you are all mine too,” Alex said. “Dr. Landry.” 

Landry grinned. “You might like medical kink after all,” he teased. 

Alex shook his head. “Not sure about that.” He cupped his hands around his coffee and looked around to see how close the nearest occupied table was. “But speaking of that…” 

Arching an eyebrow in interest, Alex had Landry’s full attention. 

“We spent a lot of time working on things on my checklist,” he said softly, making sure they weren’t overheard. “What’s on your list?” 

“Everything we’ve been doing,” Landry replied. “I’ve enjoyed it all.”

“Well yeah,” Alex smiled. “But are there things you want to try with me? You were so good to stick with my list, but I want to be sure we are exploring yours as well.” 

Landry thought for a moment. “You know I don’t really go in for the formal stuff, but there a few toys, devices, that I wouldn’t mind trying out.”  
Alex felt his pulse race and he was sure his skin was slightly flushed. “I like the sound of that.” 

Landry smiled as he caressed Alex’s cheek. “But nothing’s changed with that, if you find you don’t like it, then we don’t do it.”

“Ditto, right? I don’t want you doing something just to show it to me. That’s not what this is about,” Alex said, turning into Landry’s touch. 

“Everything we’ve done, I’ve been into. Promise. And it will continue that way,” Landry assured him. 

“I’ll hold you to that,” Alex said. He ran his finger along the rim of his coffee cup as he glanced around furtively to check that no one had moved closer. “So these devices…” 

Landry smiled. “Yes?” 

Alex looked at him expectantly. When Landry didn’t speak, he huffed out a sigh of impatience. “You aren’t going to give me any more than that?”

“Okay,” Landry laughed, adoring his boy’s impatience. “I’d like to use a vibrator with you,” he said softly. 

Alex nodded. “Yes please.” 

“Well that was an easy sell,” Landry laughed again. “How do you feel about a spreader bar?” 

Alex shivered, goosebumps rising on his arms despite the warmth in the air. “Yes, please,” he said again, softer this time. 

“A hanging leather swing chair?” Landry continued, his voice steady and low.

“I…” Alex faltered, his face red. “I’m not entirely sure what that is. I mean I know all those words, just not together like that.” 

“It’s a chair that hangs from the ceiling so it swings. It’s made of leather straps in the perfect shape to bind your arms and your spread legs,” Landry explained as he watched the effect his words were having on his young lover. 

“Oh,” Alex said softly as Landry’s words sparked his imagination. 

“But only if you want to try it,” Landry added.

Alex swallowed hard. He had no hesitation about try it, he just found it hard to say that out loud in public. “I do,” he managed to get out, his voice only a whisper.

Landry smiled as he reached over to take Alex’s hand and give it a squeeze. “I love you.” 

Finding strength in Landry’s touch, Alex felt some of his anxiety flow away. “I love you too.” 

“There’s a lot I want to experience with you. And we will,” Landry told him. 

“I can’t wait,” Alex said, squeezing his hand. Every day he thanked his lucky stars that they’d found their way back together. 

✬✬✬

Landry lit the last candle just as Alex walked in the door. He blew out the match with a smile. 

“Perfect timing,” Landry said where he stood next to their dining table which was set for a candlelight dinner. 

Alex stopped abruptly just inside the door. “What’s going on?” he asked, realizing even as the words came out that they sounded a little harsh. “I mean, I wasn’t expecting this,” he said, softening the words with a smile. 

“Good. Because it was meant to be a surprise,” Landry replied. He was dressed entirely in black, shirt, pants, shoes. “I made dinner. And by made, I mean I bought it and brought it home for us to eat.”

Alex couldn’t help but laugh. “I feel a bit underdressed. Can I go clean up a little?” Even without knowing what Landry had planned, he could already feel the warmth of anticipation building in his body. 

“You look great just like you are, but sure, we have some time before we’re ready to eat. I’ll open the wine,” Landry told him. 

“Perfect,” Alex said, He paused at Landry’s side to give him a quick kiss before he slipped into the bedroom. 

Landry opened the wine and poured two glasses of the chardonnay as he waited for Alex to return. He had felt extremely confident earlier in the day, but when he started to think too much, he realized that he was slightly nervous about the outcome of the night’s events. 

Alex used the facilities and then changed into a clean, slightly nicer outfit. It was still casual, but more fitting for what it looked like Landry had planned. He didn’t bother with shoes, guessing they weren’t leaving the loft. “See, that didn’t take long,” he said when he rejoined Landry at the table. 

“You look great,” Landry said softly as he handed Alex his glass of wine. “To surprises,” he said softly, gently clinking his glass against Alex’s before taking a sip of the chardonnay.

“To surprises,” Alex said, his curiosity peaked. He tasted the wine and smiled in approval. 

“I was informed that this is a good pairing with our entree’ this evening,” Landry explained. 

“And what is our entree?” Alex sensed that Landry was nervous about something. There was just something off about his tone and his posture, but Alex didn’t want to push, he knew his lover would get around to it when he was ready. 

“Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. I got it from that little Italian place you liked so much,” Landry replied. 

Alex’s eyes lit up. “I’m not sure what prompted all this,” he said, tilting his glass towards the candlelit table. “But I am super excited about it.” 

Landry pulled out a chair and gestured for Alex to have a seat at the table. “I’ll be right back,” he said with a smile. 

Sliding into the chair, Alex watched Landry go. He felt the tiniest bit of anxiety creep in, just barely noticeable as some tension in his back. As wonderful as it all was, there had to be a reason for it. 

Returning with two bowls of salad in his hands, Landry placed one in front of Alex and then one at his place on the table. “Before we dig into our salad, there is something that I’d like to give you,” Landry said with a soft smile as he produced a small black box and presented it to Alex. 

Alex took the box, but looked up at Landry before he opened it. “It’s not my birthday...or our anniversary,” he said, a puzzled look on his face. “Just a random day gift?”

“Not exactly.” Landry’s smile widened.

Alex waited for Landry to continue, but when he just continued to smile at him silently Alex looked down at the box. “Should I open it?”

“Yes.” Landry huffed out a soft laugh. “It’s nothing dangerous.” 

“Good to know,” Alex laughed. He took a deep breath and cracked open the box. Nestled in the black velvet was a length of silver chain with a tiny pair of handcuffs serving as a clasp. As the realization of what he was looking at washed over him, his hands trembled enough to rattle the metal inside the box. 

Landry carefully covered Alex’s trembling hand with his. “Do you like it?” he asked quietly.

Alex looked up Landry. “I love it,” he said softly, only a slight crack in his voice betraying the emotions he was experiencing. “Is it…” he trailed off, hope written all over his face. 

“I want you to wear my collar,” Landry said. “I know in here . . .” He touched his chest to indicated his heart. “You are my boy. But I want to make it official.”

“And I want to wear your collar,” Alex said immediately, not wanting to leave Landry in suspense. “Be officially your boy.” He was overwhelmed, but above all incredibly honored. 

Landry pulled Alex in for a kiss. “My boy,” he said softly against Alex’s lips. 

“Yours” Alex murmured against Landry’s lips, savoring the way the word felt and sounded. 

“Put it on. I want to see it around your neck,” Landry urged with a smile. 

Alex held the box out to Landry. “You put it on,” he said, feeling that it wouldn’t be right to do it himself. “Claim your boy.” 

Landry took the box, lifting the chain out of it. He slipped the chain around Alex’s neck and clasped it in the front by interlinking the two handcuffs. Landry ran his finger over the silver metal where it lay against Alex’s skin. “Perfect,” he murmured as he admired his boy’s new collar. 

Alex reached up and touched the chain, feeling the metal start to warm from resting against his skin. “You have excellent taste,” he said with a smile.

“In collars and in boys,” Landry agreed with a grin. “You look great in it.” 

“I’ll look great wearing _only_ it,” Alex smiled back. 

Landry growled softly, leaning in for another kiss. “That is definitely something to look forward to.” 

“Did you really think we’d get through dinner after giving me this?” Alex asked softly, sliding his hand around the back of Landry’s neck. 

“Should I have saved it for dessert?” Landry asked, pressing another kiss to the corner of Alex’s mouth. 

“I think the anticipation might have killed you,” Alex said, nipping at Landry’s bottom lip.

“What about the fettuccine? I thought it was your favorite?” Landry asked between additional kisses. 

Alex laughed into the kiss. “You are my favorite. The pasta is my second favorite.” 

“Then I should turn off the oven since something else is heating up right now,” Landry smiled. 

“You are the one in charge here. You can make me wait.” Alex couldn’t help teasing Landry just a little. He was high on endorphins and felt invincible. 

Landry slid his arms around Alex’s waist and lift him up. “That’s a good thing about fettuccine. It’s good reheated,” he smiled. “But I think I will make you wait.”

Alex wrapped both arms around Landry’s neck and held on as they moved. “Wait for the pasta? Or for you to finish claiming me?”

“You will wait for me. On the bed. Wearing nothing but your new collar,” Landry answered. 

“I like the sound of that,” Alex whispered, skating his lips along the edge of Landry’s ear. 

“Then get to it,” Landry smiled as he gave Alex’s ass a firm smack for emphasis. 

Alex smiled and gave Landry one last kiss before he untangled from his lover’s arms and headed to the bed. He stripped off his clothes as he went, knowing Landry could still see him thanks to the open floor plan. 

“Tease,” Landry murmured before blowing out the candles, putting a stopper in the wine and turning off the oven. He hadn’t planned the evening to be like this, but he was more than happy with the change of plans. 

Alex positioned himself on his knees on the bed, but not before he stole a quick look at himself in the mirror. He loved the way the collar looked against his skin, and he never wanted to take it off. 

“It looks good on you,” Landry said as he walked into their bedroom. “But you’ve led me into a bit of a quandary,” he continued as he began to unbutton his shirt. 

“Why’s that?” Alex asked softly, his demeanor already slipping into a more submissive stance. 

“Because I wasn’t planning on being in here so soon after I gave you that collar,” Landry explained as he walked over to the closet, slipping off his shirt as he went. 

“I’m sorry I derailed your plans,” Alex said, his eyes following Landry’s every move but his body staying perfectly still. 

“Well, you know what they say about best laid plans,” Landry smiled, emerging from the closet without his shirt, but with another black box in his hand, this one larger than the first box he gave Alex. “I have another present for you,” Landry said as he presented the box to Alex. 

Alex looked at Landry quizzically. “Another?” His strict posture faltered slightly and he sat back on his knees as he held out his hand. 

Landry nodded and smiled. “Open it,” he said. 

Alex opened the box, and for the second time that evening found his fingers trembling uselessly. A thick black leather collar lay in the box, a complete contrast to the more delicate chain that circled his neck. 

“I thought you might want something more substantial for play time,” Landry explained. 

Alex had to drag his eyes away from the collar so he could find Landry’s face. “I can’t believe you did this for me.” 

“Why not?” Landry asked as took a seat on the side of the bed.

“Because it means so much to me,” Alex said, running his finger over the leather. “It’s what I wanted from you right from the start.” 

“Two collars?” Landry teased as he slipped his hand to the back of Alex’s neck. 

Alex shook his head. He couldn’t help but smile despite the intensity of what he was feeling and saying. “To be yours.” 

“You are mine, darlin’. And I’m yours.” Landry pulled Alex in for a kiss. 

“I like the sound of that,” Alex whispered, laying the box carefully down on the bed as he was dragged into Landry’s embrace. 

“I’m lucky you picked me,” Landry confessed as he held Alex tightly. 

“Oh you had a definite hand in that. Remember that night in the bedroom at the party?” Alex asked, his skin flushing as he conjured up the memory. 

“Yeah. I wanted you and my excuses for not taking you weren’t stopping me.” Landry pressed his lips against Alex’s neck. 

“And I knew, from the moment you backed me up against that dresser, that I had to be yours. No one else had, or ever will, make me feel like I did that night,” Alex said, tipping his head back. 

“Did you feel claimed?” Landry whispered, his hands circling Alex’s wrists as he continued to kiss his neck. 

“I did,” Alex said softly, closing his eyes. “I knew right then I’d do anything to be with you.”

“All you have to do is be yourself. Because it is you I love,” Landry told him before he nipped on Alex’s earlobe. 

“And now I get to wear your collar,” Alex smiled. “Collars,” he corrected himself, with a soft moan brought on my Landry’s teeth against his skin. 

“I should take off the silver one. I wouldn’t want it damaged.” Landry reached for the small cufflinks at Alex’s throat. 

“I’d protest, except I know I get to wear the other one for awhile,” Alex said. “And that holds a lot of promise.” He lifted his head, making it easier for Landry to reach the clasp.

Landry carefully place the silver necklace on the nightstand and reached for the more sturdy black leather collar. He smiled as he put it around Alex’s slender throat. “You look amazing in this. I knew you would.”

Alex couldn’t resist reaching up to touch, stroking the leather as Landry did the buckle. “I’ve never worn anything like it,” he said, adjusting to how the pressure felt against his neck. 

“And I will confess I am glad to know it,” Landry said as he stroked Alex’s cheek. “I like being your first Dom. Your only Dom.”

Alex tilted his head into Landry’s touch. “Let me show you how much I like being your boy.” 

“You will,” Landry gave his boy an adoring smile. “Lie back for me, arms above your head,” he instructed. 

Pausing just for a moment, not wanting to move away from Landry, Alex forced himself into motion and lay in the center of the bed. He took a deep breath as he positioned his arms, making sure he was just the right distance from the headboard. 

Landry stood beside the bed, leaning over to run his hand along Alex’s collar then down over his shoulder and finally to his nipple. “Beautiful,” he said as he rubbed the tender flesh. “I need to get some things. I’ll be right back,” he said before he bent to give Alex a parting kiss. 

Alex kept his eyes on Landry, even though he knew he’d never just leave him like this. He tilted his head, feeling the stiffness of the collar and knowing it would be a constant reminder of his place. 

A few minutes later, Landry returned to the bed. He laid his supplies at the foot of the bed, just out of Alex’s sight. “Did we ever talk about blindfolds?” Landry asked his lover. 

“I don’t think so,” Alex said softly, resisting the urge to lift his head and strain to see what Landry had laid on the bed. “But I’m not opposed.” 

“Good. Even though your eyes are beautiful and I never stop looking into them,” Landry grinned as he reached for the blindfold, “I think you might like this. The way your other senses are heightened by taking away your ability to see what is happening.” 

“Plus you know how it tortures me to not know what is going on,” Alex said as he watched Landry prepare the blindfold. For all his protest, his body was responding with eager anticipation, and he was sure it hadn’t escaped Landry’s notice. 

“At least I’m not using a gag so you can still ask as many questions as you like,” Landry teased as he leaned over to put the blindfold on Alex. He slipped a finger between the fold and Alex to be sure it wasn’t too tight. “How does that feel?”

Alex moved his head up and down and side to side just to be sure it was securely in place but he could still move freely. “Good,” he confirmed. “And you’d miss all my questions if you gagged me.” 

Landry agreed, but he just smiled since Alex wasn’t able to see him. “I’m going to restrain your arms,” he informed as he ran his hand up Alex’s arm and fastened his wrists with fur-lined cuffs. He slid a length of chain through Alex’s arms and pulled it against the chain connecting the cuffs. Landry clipped the chain to an eye hook at the bottom of the headboard where it was handy, but out of sight. 

As always, Alex tested the cuffs, and as always, Landry had them fixed just right. He was held in place securely, but there was enough play in the chain to keep him from hurting himself when they started to move. 

“Comfortable?” Landry asked as he stepped back and began to take off his pants. 

Alex smiled. “If I was comfortable it wouldn’t be nearly as fun.” He tried to figure out what Landry was doing just from the soft sounds he was making, but it was harder than he expected. 

Landry reached for the small bottle of lube and squeezed some onto his fingertips. It was the type that heated and cooled the skin depending on the type of activity involved. He rubbed a bit on Alex’s nipples.

Alex jumped, his shoulders pressing back against the bed. He wasn’t expecting the touch, but he exhaled and reminded himself to calm down. He could feel Landry rubbing something into his skin, and immediately the air in the room felt cool against his nipples. 

Landry rubbed harder, heating the lube to warm Alex’s tender skin. 

“Oh,” Alex breathed out as the heat took over, this time his back arching in response. 

Next, Landry blew on Alex’s nipples to cool them back down again. He loved the way his boy moved, the graceful arc of his back as he pulled against his restraints. 

Alex missed being able to see Landry’s face, missed the little looks that told him he was pleasing his Dom, but Landry was absolutely right about the lack of sight enhancing his other senses. 

“Imagine how that’s going to feel when I use it to fuck you,” Landry said softly as he gave Alex’s nipple another tweak. 

Moaning, Alex bent his knees and planted his feet on the bed. His legs fell open wantonly, he didn’t bother to hide how much he needed it. 

Landry smiled at his eager boy and shook his head. Alex was never shy about his needs, another quality he admired in his lover. “I have a surprise for you,” he teased as he picked up the vibrator and turned it on. 

Alex turned his head toward the noise, grunting with frustration that he couldn’t see the source. 

Using the vibrator, Landry teased Alex’s nipples again. 

Alex tensed, the chains at his wrists rattling as he pulled them taut. “Oh,” he gasped, his hips squirming as his cock pulsed with arousal. 

Landry ran the vibrator down the center of Alex’s body and rubbed it against his hardening cock. “How does that feel?” 

“Good,” Alex gasped out. The sensation was almost too much, but he balled his hands into fists and curled his toes, diffusing some of the tension. 

Moving the vibrator lower, Landry rolled it over Alex’s balls then back along his cock, repeating the motion slowly. 

Alex churned his hips up and down as Landry moved, his body moving on autopilot as it sought out the right amount of stimulation. 

His boy looked so good like this, blindfolded and restrained, his body expressive and eager for more. Landry turned off the vibrator and reached for the lube; it was time to prepare Alex. 

Crying out in disappointment when Landry pulled the vibrator away, Alex yanked against his restraints in frustration. 

“Shhhhh,” Landry soothed, rubbing Alex’s leg with his hand. “We’ve got all night, darlin’.”

Landry’s reassurances did nothing to stem the ache of his arousal. “Please,” he begged, turning his head toward the sound of Landry’s voice. 

Landry responded by rubbing the warming lube in and around Alex’s hole, slowly stretching him as the gel heated his skin. 

Alex pulled his knees up to his chest, the heat of the lube taking his breath away. It make Landry’s fingers feel strange, and the lack of sight intensified that feeling. 

When Landry was satisfied that Alex was ready, he removed his fingers, but he didn’t replace them with his cock. He pressed the vibrator against Alex’s hole and slowly pushed it inside him. Landry turned on the vibrator at the lowest setting, easing his boy into the sensation.

Alex wasn’t expecting the unyielding press of the vibrator instead of Landry’s cock, and he was still adjusting when Landry flipped the switch. The vibrations were so much more intense now that it was inside him, and he cried Landry’s name as he tried to make sense of it all. 

Landry laid beside his boy he kissed his shoulder as he murmured. “Easy, easy. Just ride it,” he said as he moved the vibrator inside him. “Cocks are awesome, but cocks can’t do this,” he added as he turned it up another notch 

Alex latched on to Landry’s voice. He could tell Landry was laying beside him now and his body automatically tried to turn toward him. “Too much,” he gasped out, even though he didn’t really mean it. 

“You can do it,” Landry countered softly, angling the vibrator to press against Alex’s prostate. 

Lifting up off the bed, Alex turned his face into his shoulder to muffle his moans of pleasure. He was coated in a sheet of sweat, the heat from the lube amping everything up. 

“Can you come like this? Without me touching your cock?” Landry whispered as he continued to fuck his boy with the vibrator. The sounds that Alex made were going straight to his own cock and he wondered if he could show the patience he wanted to when it came to his sexy lover. 

“I…” Alex struggled to put his words together. “I don’t know,” he got out, scared to fail. His body felt as tight as a stretched string, ready to snap. 

“If you can, you have permission to come,” said Landry. “If you need me, I won’t leave you hanging,” he promised. “Relax. Let yourself go, darlin’. Let yourself feel it.” 

Alex let Landry’s words sink in. He needed to hear that reassurance, that promise that Landry would always take care of him. Exhaling a shaky breath he let the vibrations against his prostate carry him over the edge, his cock jerking as he let go. 

“Ahh, that’s it. Perfect.” Landry kept the vibrator buzzing and moving as Alex’s cock jerked against his belly, his release spilling onto his skin in soft spurts. 

Pressing his feet against the bed, Alex tried to shift his hips enough to get away from the vibrator, the sensation almost too much to bear in the aftermath of his climax. He moaned softly, hoping Landry would stop. 

Landry turned off the vibrator and pulled it out. He felt Alex trembling beside him on the bed and he was ready to take care of his boy. Landry whispered softly, complimenting his young lover on how well he did and how proud he was of him. He unfastened the cuffs around Alex’s wrists, gently rubbing them as he laid his arms next to his body. Next, Landry removed the blindfold slowly to allow Alex to adjust to the change. 

Alex immediately searched Landry’s face, still needing to be sure he hadn’t disappointed him. 

Smiling at his boy, Landry pulled him into his arms and kissed him. He ran his hand over the collar around Alex’s neck as he held him close. 

Using his freedom, Alex let his hands press against Landry’s chest. He could feel the heat and arousal that still bubbled right beneath the surface of his lover’s skin. “I want you inside me,” he murmured needing more than the firm plastic could give. 

Landry cupped Alex’s chin, forcing his boy to look him in the eye. “You don’t need to push yourself,” he said softly. 

“I’m not. I want it,” Alex said, looking Landry straight in the eye. “I _need_ it.” 

“Let me get a condom,” Landry said before he moved away. He returned to the bed, positioning himself with his back against the headboard. “Can you straddle me?” he asked Alex.

Alex tested his coordination and muscles by rolling over onto all fours. He nodded as he moved up to Landry’s lap. “Like this?” He asked as he settled into position. 

“Yes,” Landry replied, pulling Alex in for a claiming kiss. HIs hands slid to Alex’s hips. “I want to watch your face,” he murmured as he slowly slid inside him. 

“And I want to see yours,” Alex said softly. “I liked the blindfold, but I missed seeing you.” Alex ran his hands up Landry’s arms and then let his hands rest on the other man’s shoulders. 

Landry nodded his agreement as he began to move with a slow roll of his hips, just enough to move inside his lover. 

Alex shivered, his overstimulated body stretching in different ways now that it was Landry inside him rather than the toy. 

“Does that feel better? Having me inside you?” Landry whispered as they moved together. 

“Yes. There’s no substitute,” Alex said, his eye glazed with pleasure. He also liked the way Landry’s hands...so large and strong...held him right where he needed to be, but that was way too many words to say out loud. 

Landry placed his hand on Alex’s neck, laying it over his new collar. “Mine,” he said softly. 

Alex smiled. He didn’t think he would ever get tired of hearing that from Landry. “Yours,” he said, tilting forward to kiss him. 

Sliding his arm around Alex’s waist, Landry held him close as his thrusts became faster, deeper. He wrapped his fingers around Alex’s cock and began to stroke him. 

Alex started to protest that it was too soon, too fast, but his body responded to Landry’s hand like he hadn’t just survived an earth shattering orgasm. “Oh,” he exhaled softly, the surprise of the pleasure forming a feedback loop that just made him even harder. 

Landry held Alex captive, one hand at the back of his neck, his collar against his palm, and one hand on his cock. 

The intensity of their connection and the emotion of the evening pushed Alex to put words to something he’d been feeling but had been afraid to say. “Someday I want to feel you come inside me. To mark me there too.” 

“You want to ride me bare, darlin’?” Landry rasped, mesmerized by Alex’s face as they continued to move together. 

“I do,” Alex said, his fingers curling tightly against Landry’s skin as he held on. “I can’t stop thinking about it.” 

Landry could come from just the thought of having Alex like that - nothing between them. “Think you can come again?” he asked as he continued to stroke his boy’s cock.

Alex nodded. Just the fact that Landry hadn’t dismissed the idea immediately was enough to put him on the edge. His hand and his cock stretching him open with each tilt of their hips was just extra. 

“Good. Let me see it. Let me watch as you come for me again,” Landry said, his strokes coming faster. 

Focusing on the sound of Landry’s voice and the look of intense pleasure on his face, Alex let himself fall apart for the second time, knowing Landry was there to catch him. 

Landry held Alex tightly as he jerked and trembled through his second orgasm. He watched Alex’s face and smiled. “Beautiful.” 

“Now you,” Alex demanded, as soon as he caught his breath. 

Grinning at Alex’s command, Landry wrapped his arms around his boy and flipped him onto his back. He held Alex’s legs up as he pushed deep inside him again. Landry moved slowly at first, but began thrusting harder and faster until he came with a loud cry. 

“I love it when you do that to me,” Alex murmured into Landry’s ear, stroking his back as he came down. “So strong… just taking what you want from me.” 

“I was just following orders,” Landry said, turning his head so Alex could see his teasing grin. “My bossy boy.” 

“Admit it, sometimes you like it when I’m bossy,” Alex smiled back. 

“You’re adorable when you’re bossy,” Landry admitted as he shifted into a more comfortable position lying next to Alex. He wrapped his arm around his boy and pulled him close. 

“I’m not adorable all the time?” Alex teased, kissing Landry’s shoulder. 

Landry tilted his head back and laughed, nodding as he spoke again. “Yes. And especially when you’re asking me a question like that.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Alex was so keyed up from the excitement of the evening that the usual drowsiness after a scene hadn’t dragged him down. “Think our dinner is still good?”

“Probably,” Landry replied. “But before we go see, were you serious? About wanting to be bare with me?”

Alex had a moment of regret for being so open, and he hoped he hadn’t pushed too hard too soon. “I was. But I totally understand if you aren’t ready for that. And we’d get tested of course, and wait it out since we haven’t been back together for long…” he forced himself to cut off the rambling lest he go on all night. 

Landry slipped his hand around the back of Alex’s neck. A gesture he went to when he wanted Alex to calm down and take a breath. “I’m ready. You’re the one who I am committing myself to and I would love to share that with you,” Landry said quietly.

Alex exhaled slowly. “You’ve given me so much. In return I want to give all of me.” 

“But only if it’s something you want, too. Okay?” Landry asked, giving Alex’s neck a gentle squeeze. 

“It’s absolutely what I want. I was being honest when I said I can’t stop thinking about it,” Alex said, pressing back against Landry’s hand, his cheeks flushing. 

Landry smiled. “Then we’ll get tested,” he said softly. 

Alex leaned in for a kiss. “This might be the best day of my life.” 

Pulling Alex in close, Landry kissed him thoroughly, claiming his boy yet again. 

✬✬✬

Alex checked the time and ducked his head around the corner looking for Landry. “Do we need to be down there early to set up?” 

“No, not really. We can go down in a few,” Landry replied.

Plopping down on the edge of the bed, Alex watched Landry get ready. “I like having the munch here. Less commute time.” 

Landry nodded as he finished buttoning his shirt. “I can get you home quicker,” he smiled. 

“Excellent point,” Alex laughed. “I hadn’t fully thought through that possibility.”   
“Are you ready?” Landry asked, a slight hesitation to his question. 

Something about Landry’s tone of voice made Alex pause. He looked down and then back up. “Yes? Unless you think I need to change or something.” 

Landry tilted his head as if evaluation Alex’s attire. “I might have something else you could put on,” he said before he turned to disappear into the closet.

“I know it’s just downstairs, but technically that is out in public,” Alex called after him.

“I am well aware of that fact,” Landry replied as he emerged from the closet, a black tee shirt in his hand. 

Alex’s curiosity was peaked. “Did you dig up my shirt that caused trouble?” He teased, remembering how Landry reacted that night. 

“Not exactly,” Landry smiled as he tossed the black tee shirt to Alex. 

Alex caught the shirt and shook it out, holding it by the shoulder seams. He couldn’t help but smile when he read the slogan. “You had this made special for me?”

“I did. I think this one is a little less confusing than the other one was,” Landry smiled. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Alex said, stripping out of his own shirt so he could replace it with the new one. “Can I wear it all the time?” he asked, his voice muffled by the fabric as he pulled it over his head. 

“Well, not _all_ the time,” Landry chuckled. 

Alex stood up and moved to stand in front of Landry. He laid his hands on Landry’s hips and tipped his head up so he could see Landry’s face. “You know you want to fuck me later wearing nothing but this,” he said softly. 

Landry grinned from ear to ear. “Plan on it,” he agreed, bending his head to kiss Alex. 

Pushing up into the kiss, Alex moaned softly when Landry moved his hand to rest at the back of his neck to touch his collar. 

“Everyone is going to know you’re mine,” Landry said softly. “If they didn’t know it already.”

“Everyone,” Alex agreed. He gave Landry one more kiss and then pulled away and took his hand. “Ready to go show me off?”

“I suppose the sooner we go, the sooner I can get you back up here.” Landry gave Alex a sly grin as his boy tugged him toward the door. 

Alex laughed and pulled the door closed behind him. He marched down the stairs proudly with “Landry’s Boy” splashed in bold letters across his chest and a collar around his neck. There was no way to mistake what he was, and how proud he was about it. 

Landry made no effort to hide his own smile. He was quite proud of his accomplishment at winning the love of his boy. The night Alex tried to crash his birthday party with a fake ID card had turned out to be the luckiest night of his life.

THE END


End file.
